


(it's like something's always) missing

by Bugggghead



Category: Archie Comics, Archie Comics & Related Fandoms, Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Enemies to Friends, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Jughead Jones is Not Asexual, Missing Persons, Multi, Mystery, Protective Jughead Jones, Riverdale AU, Strangers to Lovers, investigating!bughead, sleuthing!Bughead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-04-07
Packaged: 2019-04-04 00:44:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 40,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14008440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bugggghead/pseuds/Bugggghead
Summary: Alice Cooper has been missing for 2 months. Her car was found wrecked in Sweetwater River, halfway between Greendale and Riverdale. No other traces of her have been uncovered in the extensive search. The leads have run stale and the Greendale Police are no closer to an answer than they were the day she went missing.Betty Cooper is tired of the big empty house filled with unanswered questions. After stumbling upon her mother’s hidden USB drive on the Jingle Jangle case, Betty has been digging through her mom’s research, looking for a lead. The last notes saved referenced Riverdale’s Southside Serpents. Betty decides to go looking for her own answers.(i.e. a whole lot of bughead with a litte bit of mystery)





	1. 3.17.2018

**Author's Note:**

> If you are reading this, THANK YOU for taking the time to check out my latest project
> 
> I appreciate every single like, kudos, subscription & bookmark on here as well as each like and reblog on tumblr (my handle is the same)!
> 
> The first chapter is more backstory than anything, but hopefully you like the introductions. The chapter titles will be the dates these events are happening. I started it in real time, but we’ll see how that continues.  
> Hope you enjoy

* * *

**MISSING**

**Name** : Alice Cooper

 **Missing From** : Greendale, NY / Riverdale, NY

 **Age** : Early 40’s

 **Height** : 5’ 6”

 **Weight** : 128 lbs

 **Hair** : Dark Blonde

 **Eyes** : Aquamarine (Dark Green with tones of Blue)

**_Date Missing: 1/18/2018_ **

PLEASE CALL GREENDALE POLICE WITH ANY INFORMATION (555) 867- 5309

* * *

 

3.17.2018

 

Betty Cooper crumpled up the page, not wanting to stare at the image that had already been seared into her brain over the last few weeks. _Missing_ …. That she certainly was. The next day would mark two full months since the day her mother’s car was discovered in Sweetwater River. According to the official report, Alice lost control of her vehicle while driving over the bridge and her car crashed through the barriers, sinking into the river. Also according to the official report, no body was recovered from the scene. The Greendale Police seemed to think when the windows broke upon impact, her body was carried down the river.

The part Betty couldn’t seem to rectify within herself, was the fact that her body still hadn’t turned up anywhere downstream from the incident. _Her body…. Oh god._ Betty’s mind began to spiral and she pressed her fingernails into the already painfully raw skin adorning her palms, attempting to refocus on the task at hand. She had been spiraling more often than not since her mother’s disappearance, sure she would have gone off the deep end had it not been for her best friend, Veronica Lodge, who was around as much as she possibly could be without outright moving in.

Tonight, however, Betty was alone, sitting on her mother’s bed, surrounded by her mother’s things—scraps of paper from her night stand, notes found near the washer, anything and everything Betty could possibly find to try connecting the pieces—and she was still coming up empty handed.

Frustrated with unanswered questions, suffocating from the air of despondence permeating Greendale’s Police force, and guilt ridden by her own dwindling hope, Betty snapped. Thick red streaks embellished Alice’s comforter and Betty’s palms were coated in fresh crimson. The tears streaming down her cheeks frustrating her even more. _Get it together, Betty._ She was ashamed of her current state and felt her anger reach its boiling point as she slammed her fist down on the side table. Her mother’s heirloom stained glass Tiffany lamp crashed to the ground, shattering into thousands of unrecognizable pieces.

 _FUUUCCCKKKK_ , she wasn’t sure if it was audible or simply in her head—after being alone so long who could really tell.

If her mother had been there, she would have chastised her for the use of such profane language. Betty squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to refocus, palms too tender to pressure with her nails again so soon. When she finally opened her eyes, Betty saw a small silver object under where the base previously stood. She picked it up and turned it over, it was a USB drive with ‘I.C.E.’ on it in her mother’s unmistakable handwriting. Betty knew that stood for In Case of Emergency, the same tag attached to Alice Cooper’s contact in her phone. Palms still bloody, she set it down and rushed to the bathroom to clean and bandage her hands before contaminating the evidence any further.

Betty plugged it into her laptop, before the booting process even finished, and waited with bated breath. The drive was password protected… _great._ She tried all of the typical combinations of birthdates, pets’ names, and even her favorite wine—none unlocking the only potential lead she had in the case. Putting on her best Nancy Drew cap, Betty tried to remember any kind of hint her mother would have given her or where she may have left the information. She sat at the computer until the sun came up, each attempt at accessing the dive ending the same way.

 

3.18.2018

 

Betty woke to her phone ringing— _Veronica Lodge—_ flashed across the screen and she knew if she didn’t answer it, Veronica wouldn’t hesitate to just show up. She knew that couldn’t happen with the current state of Alice’s room and her own after the eventful night.

Veronica didn’t question her when Betty said she became ill from bad take out and even offered to bring over some soup to help settle her stomach. Betty knew Veronica was offering for Smithers to drop something the chef’s made off to her, in all actuality, and politely declined, citing her need for rest. With Veronica none the wiser, Betty had a breakthrough. She pulled up her mother’s contact in her phone and entered all of the information into the laptop exactly as it read on the screen—spaces included.

ICE ALICE COOPER 5558673113

The folders hidden behind the passcode appeared and Betty poured over them for the remainder of the day. She printed each file in its entirety and set about digesting all of the information. Once she had it all in her hands, she organized each physical piece of paper by date.

As the sun was setting, Betty packed her suitcase, carefully placing the pages at the bottom to ensure their optimal condition and slipping the USB into a small hole in the bag’s lining— _just a precaution—_ she told herself.

The most recent note her mother saved didn’t mean anything to Betty. Riverdale’s Southside Serpents… that was the note in its entirety and Betty was more confused than ever. Knowing answers wouldn’t come knocking at her door based on their current trajectory, she decided to find them on her own.

After looking up the name ‘Southside Serpents’, she discovered it was a motorcycle club on the south side of Riverdale. They owned a bar named the White Wyrm and they contributed to Toys for Tots during Christmas. The information she found was primarily from the singular member’s Facebook page that was not private. Apparently, the Serpents didn’t want to be found online— _fine then—_ Betty decided to try the direct approach instead. She tossed on a pair of jeans, black ballet flats, and a simple black tank. She topped it off with a heather gray sweater and swiveled around to assess herself in the mirror.

The only place she knew to start was the White Wyrm, a bar that didn’t seem to be the type that favored wandering in draped in sweaters and flats. A pang of realization hit her as she took in her appearance once more, _Alice isn’t here to tell you what to wear._

Betty shed the sweater—opting instead for a denim jacket—switched her ballet flats for black ankle boots, and applied some darker makeup before finally tugging out the elastic holding her waves in a loose bun. Fluffing up her hair and straightening the tank she looked at the mirror once more— _much better._ She tugged on her black leather fingerless gloves to conceal her wrapped hands and hoped the leather would make them less questionable than the bandages would have been alone.

It was about an hour drive to Riverdale and Betty spent every single second of it mentally reviewing the notes she so carefully organized. Her mother had been investigating Jingle Jangle for the better part of a year, Betty knew that much. What she didn’t previously know was that Alice had isolated a supplier somewhere in Riverdale. She saw the notes tracking the deliveries and a few strange names were added next to dates that held no significance to her at the moment.

What did add up, was the last note. The Serpents had to be involved in the distribution—if they weren’t outright making it themselves. According to the records her mother so meticulously kept, every single bit of Jingle Jangle in the tri-state area was being manufactured out of a facility on the outskirts of Riverdale. The notes weren’t clear enough to give an exact location but coded meanings she was familiar with gave her enough information to be dangerous –if she wasn’t careful.

The bar looked suspiciously like an old barn that had been added onto and expanded over the years. Betty walked through the doors and attempted to beeline straight to the bar. Her golden waves, however, acted as a beacon to more than one person that night.

She was about two feet from her destination when a large calloused hand landed between herself and the bar top. Betty assessed the source of intrusion and was met with dark brown eyes and a towering presence. The mystery man was tall with windswept black hair. It was medium length pushed to one side and a smile tugged at his lips when he spoke again.

“Well, well, well… you look good enough to eat, princess.”

“Has that ever worked for you?” she scoffed, mustering up enough attitude to appear confident.

Someone laughed from behind the bar and the mystery man removed his hand to reveal the source of the sound. “Cheryl Blossom”, she introduced by pointing to herself. “That’s Sweet Pea and he’s a pig. That line will _never_ work Sweets.” She said directing the last sentence toward Sweet Pea. “But, if he’s not your type, I might be.” She winked in Betty’s direction. Betty could feel her face light up with each passing second and was relieved when someone else decided to enter the conversation.

“Sweets, Cher… back off. I know you both have an unending libido but maybe don’t scare off someone who so clearly doesn’t know where she is.” The voice belonged to another man, slightly shorter than Sweet Pea with equally dark hair. His eyes, on the other hand, were a piercing blue and Betty was stunned silent for a moment before registering the dig in his previous statement.

“Actually, I know exactly where I am. Thank you.” She pointedly responded. Betty broke his intoxicating gaze and spoke to Cheryl, “Whiskey and coke please”, she paused, “actually, you know what, can you make that a double?” Cheryl nodded and turned around to mix the drink as Betty glanced back to the men standing next to her, clearly caught in a silent discussion between eyebrow raises and heated glances. Within seconds, something was settled—she wasn’t sure what—and their eyes returned to her.

“I didn’t catch your name”, the unnamed third party inquired.

“I didn’t give it”, she countered, causing both Cheryl and Sweet Pea to erupt with laughter.

“Well if we aren’t _privileged_ enough to get your name princess, why don’t you tell me what brings you to our fine establishment this evening?” Sweet Pea drawled, his tone hinting at the buzz he was already nurturing.

“I was looking for a place to play pool”, she easily lied. Betty needed to find out the Serpents connection to the Jingle Jangle and she knew she wouldn’t get anywhere with honesty in that moment. She didn’t know how any one of them were connected to the case, if they were at all, but she did know none of them would help her out of the kindness of their hearts. For all she knew, the Jingle Jangle distribution could be taking place on the top floor while she bantered with her mother’s captors—or even murderers. No options were off the table in that moment. Her inquisitive mind began fitting pieces together and running through scenarios before her drink was set down

“Well you’re in luck. We were about to play and I happen to need a partner”, the man with the blue eyes spoke up.

“Lucky me.”

With her drink in hand, Jughead followed Betty as she followed Sweet Pea, effectively surrounded by the two tall men. There was something strangely thrilling about being protected by them both. _They didn’t even know her name_ , and yet they were shooting daggers at anyone who dared to look her direction. It was as if they were claiming her—not for themselves, no… their actions were claiming her as _protected_ in that moment and Betty was equally confused and enthralled.

Quite a few people in the bar were decorated with the infamous leather jackets Betty had previously only seen in pictures hours earlier. They all looked the same, black leather embellished with a large patch on the back depicting a two-headed snake—the tongues and fangs on full display. Neither one of her escorts were wearing jackets and she wondered if they were Serpents. _Surely, they are. They’re in the Serpents bar, everyone seems familiar with them, and they were respected._ That could only mean one thing in Betty’s book and she knew they were both worth talking to. She reasoned that the earlier compliance of Sweet Pea and Cheryl meant the unnamed man currently walking behind her was the optimal choice.

Betty placed her drink on a bar table by Sweet Pea and moved to the pool table, she turned around and leaned against it, hoping to catch his gaze. Within seconds he unwittingly complied and she introduced herself properly—purposefully omitting her last name— “Betty, by the way.”

“Well, Betty by the way… I’m Jughead”, she noticed the teasing tone in his voice and she couldn’t help but feel a genuine smile tug at her lips for the first time in months. His name was strange, sure, but she knew the smile wasn’t one of amusement.

Betty wandered back over to her drink and raised it toward the men. Another one had joined Sweet Pea at some point, looking much too young to set foot in a bar, but holding a drink nonetheless and they all nodded in cheers. Betty took a long draw on her drink, needing something to loosen her up if there was any hope of keeping up her paper-thin bravado much longer.

Jughead broke perfectly and sank two solids, he sank one more right after that before missing the third shot. Neither Sweet Pea nor his young partner appeared to have any real pool skills and with Betty’s mediocre performance, they were sweeping the game. Betty leaned over the table to attempt a skilled shot on the 8-ball when she felt her knees weaken and her vision began to blur.

“Betty? —B-Betty?!” Jughead was beside her before she slid to the floor but had no idea what he had just witnessed. He hauled her up and sat her on the edge of the table, placing himself between her legs and cupping her face in his hands. “Betty, hey…. Hey, Betty… can you hear me?” The panic in his voice rising with each syllable.

She thought she was nodding, unsure of why he kept asking her what was wrong.

Jughead saw her expression go blank and felt her clammy skin under his palms. He instantly knew what this was. _Someone drugged her. Who? When?_ Before devoting another second to the mystery, he refocused on the primary objective. _Is she okay?_ She didn’t respond to him at all as he picked her up, cradling her in his arms as the members parted for him on his way to the stairs.

Jughead took her into his apartment and laid her down gingerly on the bed. Growing up around the southside, it wasn’t uncommon to witness someone roofied, quite a few of them by choice. Based on what Jughead saw when she slumped against the table and nearly crashed to the floor, he knew he needed to lay her down flat, turn her on her side, and monitor her overnight.

He was no stranger to caring for someone in an intoxicated state. She was laying on his unmade bed and he proceeded to get her as comfortable as possible for the next few hours to ride this out. Once he was sufficiently satisfied that she was safe for a few moments alone, he marched downstairs, his heavy footsteps echoing just as loudly as his voice did.

“WHO DID THAT?!” His commanding voice bellowed with a physical force against the wood lined bar room. “THIS IS NOT WHO WE ARE, IF THIS IS WHO YOU ARE – FEEL FREE TO LEAVE!” Remembering Betty’s drink was only set down for a moment around two very specific people, Jughead strode the length of the barroom to the pool table, cornering both Sweet Pea and the recruit.

The answer was obvious and Sweet Pea spoke first. “I-I-Jug, I didn’t know”

Jughead gripped Sweet Pea’s shoulder in a bruising manner. “You see,” Jughead was staring directly at the new recruit, “I know you would never do that Sweets. Not after what happened to your little sister.” He ceased the stare down for a faction of a minute to acknowledge his right-hand man’s pain with a nod in his direction. Refocusing his rage on its intended target, Jughead gripped the boy’s jacket lapels in his hands, lifting him off the ground, “I bet you didn’t know Sweet Pea’s sister died one night after being drugged. Which means, no matter how bad he wanted to fuck Betty—he _never_ would have done that. Which leaves us with our only other option. Betty had just gotten her drink from Cheryl before she set it down by you two. When did you do it? When she was introducing herself? When Pea was getting his stick? When. The. FUCK. Did. You. Do. IT?!” he demanded.

“Y-Y-Yes”, he stuttered. The boy was clearly shaken but Jughead had just begun. “You were t-t-talking to her a-a-when I did it.”

Knowing he was an unwilling accomplice set Jughead off. “GET THE FUCK OUT. DON’T EVER COME BACK HERE!”

The recruit attempted to turn and run only to be met with the hard surface of Jughead’s brass knuckles. He had only used them a handful of times and always begrudgingly, but when he heard the boy’s confession, the metal slipped onto his fingers like it was carved to rest there.

His face met the cold ground of the Wyrm’s floor and silence filled the space. “GET HIM THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!” Jughead commanded again before turning back to Sweet Pea.

“I want everyone out of here at last call, no one lingers and lock up tight.” Jughead tossed the bar keys to Sweet Pea and went upstairs to check on Betty, knowing he had been gone too long already.


	2. 3.19.2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter only covers one day, not a whole lot of action in here but bughead is being established and their back stories are being filled in, I promise it’s important. The pace will pick up soon. Hope you guys enjoy!

 

3.19.2018

 

 

Betty rose the next morning with a persistent thump inside of her head. Her phone was buzzing from inside of her jean pocket and she silenced it, not caring who was on the other end. When she opened her eyes, expecting to see the pastel comforts of her own room, she was stunned to be met with an unfamiliar scene. She had never seen this room before. She was laying, fully clothed, in a large king bed with black sheets and a matching black comforter. The singular color scheme persisted throughout the room and Betty attempted to get her bearings. _She went to the Wyrm last night, she met a few serpents that could potentially prove to be helpful_ —that much she remembered. It got fuzzy when she thought about playing pool, _she had been playing with the sapphire eyed boy and they had been doing well_ —then— _nothing_. She remembered absolutely nothing. Betty huffed in frustration and heard movement in the hallway, causing her to still, suddenly anxious.

She thought back to the reason for her impromptu visit the night before— _her mother_. Betty’s father passed away when she was very young, her sister was a bit older at the time, but neither of them remembered much of Hal Cooper. He was an entrepreneur and owned several businesses before his passing. After he died, the businesses were sold and the profits were distributed equally to Polly, Betty, and Alice.

Her trust wasn’t available until she turned 25, so Betty was still largely in the dark about its origins and amounts, but her mother spared no expense in their upbringing. Polly and Betty always got the best of everything. They both went to private school and Polly was about to graduate from Harvard with a fully paid off graduate degree and a fiancée whose name carried as much weight as her own in the upper crust social circles.

Polly hadn’t been back to Greendale since her mother’s disappearance and Betty couldn’t blame her sister, knowing Alice was never the most pleasant person. Both Cooper girls were fiercely sheltered, and they both responded to the repression differently. Polly rebelled and counted down the days until graduation. She moved out of the Cooper house the day after graduating high school and never looked back, rarely visiting what once was her home. Betty, on the other hand, complied with her mother’s wishes, knowing deep down that Alice’s unpleasantness and tight grasp was the result of her father’s death so long ago. She may have been overbearing more often than not, but Betty understood it came from a place of love—no matter how poorly executed her actions always seemed to be.

She had never gone against her mother’s wishes and largely laid the blame for her anxiety on the impossibly high standards she was forced to maintain every day of her life prior to the disappearance. Betty graduated with her Bachelor’s six months early—just a month before the disappearance. Unlike most college graduates, she wasn’t exactly focused on figuring out what the next step of her life would be. She was stuck in a loop of obsession over the disappearance, funded by her family’s wealth. She didn’t really need to work anyway and the paper her family owned was large enough to run without interference. Alice had been the heart and soul of the paper, but the staff was more than capable of carrying the load unassisted.

Betty rarely ventured outside of Greendale and only to Alice’s pre-approved list of places when she did. Standing in the room of someone she didn’t know at all, who was probably a member of a well-known gang, Betty wondered— _what would her mother think of this picture?_

Jughead paced back and forth outside of the room. It was 11 AM and he knew he should wake her, he needed to see how she was feeling. This was going to be worse than most hangovers and he knew she would be feeling awful. He still didn’t know anything about her other than her name was Betty and she was beautiful, she contained an inner strength Jughead was fascinated by and her taunting quips the night before had piqued his interest. He liked to think that if the night hadn’t gone so horribly awry, he may have gotten to know more about her. He still wanted that, but it required her to be conscious and he was brought back to his current predicament— _to knock or not to knock_ —that was the question.

He was saved from his own internal debate when she slowly turned the knob and attempted to stealthily open the door.

“Uh—good morning.” She stared at him in confusion, holding her forehead—a clear indication his assumptions about her current condition were correct. “Do you want some coffee? Water? The bathroom? Toast?”

She was silent for a moment, still rubbing her forehead, “Coffee?” She took in his appearance, still in his clothes from the night before. Betty followed him to the kitchen and caught sight of a pillow and blanket laid haphazardly on the couch— _He slept on the couch last night and gave her his bed._ The thought was fleeting when the aroma of freshly brewed coffee stimulated her senses.

Jughead set a mug of coffee in front of her, mismatched from his own, and offered her cream and sugar. He motioned to the bedroom she previously occupied, “I’ll be right back… going to, you know, get dressed. Uh, make yourself comfortable.”

Betty’s phone vibrated again in her pocket as he shut the bedroom door and she silenced it once more as _Veronica Lodge_ flashed across the screen. Knowing she only had a few minutes alone, she left her plain black coffee on the island before swiping open her camera app. She snapped pictures of everything around her, including the leather jacket that _didn’t_ adorn his shoulders the night before. It was obviously his based on its location on the back of his desk chair in the main room. His patch appeared slightly different, though, a crown atop both heads of the symbol. She didn’t recall seeing a single other jacket with that addition the night before and she knew that must mean something.

Jughead broke her out of her thoughts, “What the fuck are you doing?” His tone cold, voice almost unrecognizable from the teasing lilt she heard the previous night and the concerned tone she heard that morning.

Betty didn’t answer and Jughead moved closer to her, trapping her between a wall and his body, she could see the fire in his eyes and gulped slowly. Betty was at a loss for words, unsure of how else to explain her snooping.

“I said, what the _fuck_ are you doing, Betty.” His breath was hot on her face and her anxiety was spiking.

Betty looked helpless in that moment, her emerald eyes blown wide with a mix of fear and distress.

“I—I mean—uh, I was just—uh”, she couldn’t think of a single plausible reason she would be taking pictures of his apartment when he wasn’t looking.

Jughead inched closer, pressing his body flush against her own and stared down at her waiting for her response.

“Um—I was just admiring your uh—décor”, she attempted weakly.

Jughead brought his hand back an inch and slammed it into the wall next to her head. “Not good enough, princess. Try again.”

Betty wasn’t sure how to get herself out of the current predicament and made a snap judgement— _he carried her to his bed last night, he didn’t undress her, there was no tell-tale ache between her legs alluding to her worst fears_ —and she decided she needed at least one person on the inside. Maybe it was a bad idea to enlist Serpent royalty in her quest, but she was out of options and needed to say something.

“I’m—uh—I’m looking for my mom.”

Jughead pulled back slightly, quirking an eyebrow at her, still close enough for their labored breaths to mix, “Your mom?” His tone wasn’t nearly as menacing and she visibly relaxed.

“Yeah, listen I know I don’t know you, and I have no idea what happened last night, but I really need help with something and as a Serpent, you are one of my very limited options for this.”

“You need the Serpents’ help?” He was growing more confused with each word she spoke.

“Not exactly… uh—just – one—at least. I know it doesn’t make sense to you, and that’s fine, but I’ll explain it if you’d give me the chance.”

Jughead backed away, turning toward the couch, and moved the makeshift bed remnants out of the way before motioning her to sit next to him. Betty’s body was buzzing from the previous proximity and she deliberated on how to explain the situation without coming off crazy.

They talked for at least an hour, Betty presumed, not paying attention to the clock while her plights of the last few months stumbled from her mouth. He didn’t interrupt her, even though she was sure she was rambling by the end.

“I’m all out of options, and I know this seems crazy, and dangerous, but I’m assuming that’s part of your brand and I just really need at least one person on my side.” Her tone was pleading and her eyes were peeled wide, an earnest look shining through.

“So, let me get this straight, your mom is missing—after a car crash—the police don’t think any foul play was involved, but you seem to think it’s linked to a Jingle Jangle exposé she was researching here in Riverdale? Does that about sum it up?”

She nodded and waited for his answer, “What makes you think the Serpents are involved in the Jingle Jangle?”

“Well, you see that’s what’s so strange to me. The last note she left on her files said ‘Southside Serpents’ but nothing else. I don’t really know what that means, but I hope my leap of faith isn’t misplaced.” She tried to gain his reassurance that the trust she was blindly placing in him wasn’t allocated incorrectly.

“Well then, okay… Betty. Most people wouldn’t wander into a snake den knowing what you know. So, color me impressed.” A smile tugged at the corner of his lips and Betty instantly felt relief wash over her. “I know you don’t really have a reason to trust me, but I can assure you the Serpents don’t deal with Jingle Jangle.”

“Okay? Well, then I don’t know what to make of her most recent note, Jug.” The nickname tumbled out and his hint of a smile quelled her nerves about the slip of her tongue.

“Now, now Betty. I never said I couldn’t be helpful, I just said the _Serpents_ don’t deal with Jingle Jangle.” Sensing he had more to say, Betty remained quiet. “The Ghoulies are another gang that runs around on the Southside and we are currently trying to deal with that situation. They’re known to distribute Jingle Jangle and their source has alluded us as well. Your mom must have been onto something. Do you mind showing me what you have so far?”

Betty’s walls instantly went back up as she subconsciously moved away from him on the couch.

“Listen,” he began, covering her hand with his own, unbothered by the glove still covering it, “you decided to trust me with your own truth about the situation so I need you to put a little bit more faith in me here. I _will_ help you, it will help me too, but we need to level the playing field if we’re going to figure this out.”

Betty was still frozen from the surprise of his hand on hers, waiting to see if he mentioned the glove, hoping he couldn’t feel the bandages beneath it. When he didn’t remark, she nodded as their eyes met. “Okay” she breathed, “They’re in my car, I can go grab it for you.” She wasn’t sure why she was choosing to trust a known Serpent. Sure, he said the Serpents had nothing to do with it, but she had no real evidence of that and if her mother had known she was giving up the upper hand, she’s sure Alice Cooper’s head would have spun. Journalists never shared their information with the subject of their inquiries, ‘ _it ruins the journalistic integrity of a piece, Betty’_ , she recalled her mom saying on more than one occasion.

“Give me your keys, I’ll get it. I don’t know who is downstairs and I’m sure you’re still not feeling well.” Betty handed over her keys, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake and watched him wander down to the car. Her phone buzzed again _Veronica Lodge_ flashed across the screen and Betty knew she had to answer sooner or later.

  
“B! OHMYGODWHEREAREYOU?! IMATYOURHOUSEANDYOURENOTHERE?!” She wasn’t sure Veronica took a single breath during the statement.

“I’m fine, V. I don’t have long but I’m okay, I’m alive, and I’ll call you later. Okay?” Veronica attempted to protest but the sound of Jughead’s boots ascending the stairs caused her to press the end call as fast as possible.

Jughead looked at her suspiciously when he reentered the apartment and saw her phone in her hand, still lit up from its recent use.

“Who was that?” He was apprehensive, a part of him wanted to trust her, to help her, for some reason he couldn’t quite pinpoint. He knew he might be making a huge mistake but he couldn’t help the curiosity that was building within him the longer he was in her presence.

“My best friend, she checks on me every day since the—uh—disappearance. She went to my house and I wasn’t there so if I didn’t answer, I know she would have sent out a search party. I just wanted to let her know I was okay.”

“And are you? – Okay, I mean?”

“To be determined”, her eyes met his and the implication of her distrust weakened his barriers.

“Well, Betty, I can assure you that I won’t hurt you.” He settled back on the couch, slightly closer, and laid her suitcase on the coffee table.

Betty retrieved the papers and explained the order and the information page by page as they poured over their contents for hours. His fingers would occasionally brush her own and the spark she kept feeling was making it hard for her to concentrate. Thankfully, she was already familiar with the material and opted to stay silent while he gave a running commentary of his own information about the Serpents knowledge of the Jingle Jangle trade.

“I can’t say I know who your mom was Betty, but this is some really good stuff. She was good at her job, that’s for sure.” He tilted his head to look at her, watching her features light up at the compliment.

“Thanks. She’s all I really had growing up, so I feel like I owe it to her to see this thing through.” Betty wasn’t sure where the statement came from, it wasn’t previously queued up in her head before it spilled from her lips, but it was unequivocally true. Her eyes began to water as she reflected on her current situation. The implications of the most plausible answer weighing heavy on her heart and mind.

“Hey, Betty—don’t—don’t cry please”, Jughead grabbed her hand once more, “We’ll figure this out, okay?”

Betty nodded and willed her tears not to fall, already embarrassed by her outburst and confessions of her family life. _He doesn’t care, Betty. He said earlier, it benefits the Serpents too. That’s why he’s helping_.

They were both silent, individually debating what their next move would be when Betty spoke up.

“Jug, uh—can you tell me what happened last night? I still feel strange and I just—” she stopped, lowering her voice, “I just need to know.”

Jughead rubbed the back of his neck, a nervous tick he kept in check most of the time, “Uh, well—Where to start?” he laughed slightly, without a hint of actual humor, “You came into my bar, turned down my best friend’s advances, and schooled him and one of our previous recruits in pool.” _She knew that much already_. “Then, uh, you were going to make the last shot and your legs gave out. I brought you up here, made sure you were comfortable, and dealt with the issue downstairs.”

His response was measured and she wanted more information. Thankfully he volunteered it without being prompted, turning to face her. “Someone drugged your drink last night, Betty. When I found out who did it, I made sure he would never come back here again. I’m really sorry, I just didn’t know until it was too late.” His forehead creased with concern and Betty felt her heart rate quicken. She had surmised as much about being drugged, this particular hangover much more wicked than any other she had in the past.

She squeezed his hand, “It’s not your fault, Jug. I appreciate you looking after me, but don’t feel responsible for this. It’s not like you did it yourself, I don’t think you’re that type of person.” She didn’t know where the words were coming from, she had met this man less than 24 hours prior but somehow already felt more connected to him than most people she knew. “Thank you... for, you know, bringing me up here, not taking advantage of me. I mean, you could have, but you didn’t… so thank you.”

Jughead stared deep into her emerald eyes, “I’m not that kind of person, you know? I mean a lot of people assume gang members are all bad, and yeah—we’re not exactly great, but that crosses a huge line in my book. I made sure _everyone_ understood that last night.”

His emphasis on the word _everyone_ made his position in the club clear enough for her. “So, can I ask you something, Jug?” Their hands were still connected and Betty tried not to move, enjoying the feeling of his touch.

“Anything.”

“Are you like—I don’t know—the leader, or president or whatever you guys call it?” She felt him stiffen under her grip and rubbed the pad of her thumb along his knuckles, silently reassuring him she probably knew the answer already.

“Yeah—uh—I haven’t been for very long. It used to be my dad.” He shook his head, “I don’t know why I’m telling you all of this…” he sighed audibly, “You could be dangerous, huh, Betts?”

She couldn’t help the wide smile that spread across her cheeks, “More dangerous than I look?” she challenged, not sure where the tenacity was coming from.

Jughead ran his tongue across his bottom lip, catching Betty’s gaze, and stared at her eyes unfocused on his own. “No, not more dangerous than you look. I’d say you look pretty fucking dangerous already.”

 _Dangerous, no one had ever called her that,_ Betty felt her confidence increase ten-fold and ran her tongue across her bottom lip, catching it at the end between her teeth.

Jughead shook his head, breaking his gaze, and took a deep breath. “Well, I might as well just clue you in then. My dad retired a few months back and I stepped up, shouldering the club’s responsibilities. I own the bar and I’m just trying to keep us out of the outright illegal shit.” He shifted, felling the weight of his metaphorical burden ease with each confession. “I really want the Serpents to be above board. My dad was always at the club house so if I ever had any hope of seeing him, I’d have to come here. My mom and sister left when I was young and haven’t been heard from since. So, I grew up with the Serpents, this is my _chosen_ family, and I feel like I owe it to them to make us better. We’ve always been looked down on and yeah, we’ve done some bad shit… but I know we can be so much more than that –” he laughed slightly, “It’s still sorting itself out, the older members don’t trust me and there’s a bit of unease in the club. But I can assure you of two things Betty, I had nothing to do with your mom’s disappearance and _my_ Serpents aren’t dealing the Jingle Jangle.”

Betty was overwhelmed from the wealth of information she was just freely given, hoping he felt the innate connection as well. She couldn’t think of any other explanation for his candor and chose to believe he didn’t have ulterior motives. Her options were slim and the way he looked at her, made her want to trust him, want to work _with_ him on this, want to be close to _him_ – whatever that involved _._

“So, what do we do now?” She didn’t feel the need to prod him any further, knowing he had already given her more information than she likely deserved, and attempted to refocus on the task at hand.

“Now, I go find a Ghoulie.” He rose from the couch and Betty quickly followed.

Jughead turned around and placed a hand on her shoulder, stopping her in her tracks. “No way Betts. I can’t have you come with me. I’m choosing to trust you, but I need you to stay here. I’ll leave you with some money if you need to order something but you can make yourself comfortable.” He inched closer, “Don’t go downstairs for any reason and _please_ be here when I get back.” He knew all too well the feeling of returning to an empty house and dreaded the idea she may be gone no matter what he asked.

“Jughead—” she started to protest before he cut her off, gripping her shoulder a bit tighter.

“I mean it Betty. After what happened last night, I don’t trust you around _anyone_ , and after what you told me today, I need you to stay here. You could be in danger too and if you’re out roaming the streets with or without me, you could get seriously hurt. _Stay… Please.”_

Betty acquiesced with a nod. “Yeah… okay. How long do you think it will take?”

“Give me an hour”, she thought that was optimistic but noted the time on the clock anyway.

Sweet Pea joined Jughead, no questions asked, and they revved up their bikes speeding off toward a known Ghoulie haunt. He had no idea how he was going to make this happen but he knew he needed to get one of them alone, question them, and see how they responded.

Alone in the apartment, Betty decided she needed to call Veronica back. She didn’t exactly owe her an explanation, but she knew Veronica worried about her and felt guilty about her lack of a response earlier.

Veronica picked up on the first ring and Betty let the cat out of the bag. She told her oldest friend about the bar, her mom’s notes, and her unexpected ally.

“SWOON B! So, this big tough gang leader protected you from that would-be rapist?! That’s straight out of a romantic novel. Does he look like Fabio?”

Betty felt the blush spread across her cheeks and thanked whatever higher power there was that she hadn’t video called her best friend. “No. Not like Fabio.”

“OMG B, you have to give me more—Is he tall, short, fat, skinny, built, bald—tell me something— _literally anything_.”

Betty laughed into the phone, knowing her cheeks were transforming from a slight blush to a deeply tinted red. “Tall, yes. Fat, no. Skinny, no. Built, kind of. Bald, no. Does that about cover it?”

Veronica squealed on the other end of the line, “When can I meet him?”

Betty stilled, _never_ , she thought. _Veronica could never meet him._ Her best friend was amazing in a lot of ways, but unlike Betty, privilege permeated the air around Veronica Lodge. Anyone could look at her and tell she was a thoroughbred among society. _She wouldn’t be caught dead in this place._

“Soon, V”, she easily lied, “but I really have to go now, just know that I’m good and I actually think it’s good that I’m out of the house right now.”

“Speaking of, B…. listen, know that I love you… but I saw the bedrooms while I was at your house earlier when I was searching for you. Your mom’s lamp was broke and there was blood everywhere. Tell me how you really are.” Veronica rarely got serious, but Betty knew her heart was in the right place.

“Really, V. I’m fine. I had a slight break last night before I found the lead in the case, but I’m better now. I’m actually… I don’t know… _cautiously optimistic_ about this? I know it sounds silly, but you really don’t need to worry about me. I love you V.”

“I love you too, B. Call me soon.”

“Will do.”

Betty laid back on the couch, her head still aching dully in the background. She slipped into a quick sleep after grabbing the pillow and blanket that were readily available from his makeshift bed the night before. She was surrounded by the smell of soap and smoke as her brain formulated images of blue eyes and jet-black locks.

Jughead unlocked the door and stood with his hand on the door knob. He had been standing in the hall for a solid five minutes, grateful no one else ever came up there to see his display. He was listening for a sound, _any_ sound to come from the apartment, hoping she was still there. When no sounds were heard, he decided he needed to go inside anyway, even if it was empty.

He turned the doorknob and stood in the entryway for a minute, absorbing the image of Betty asleep on his couch, curled up in his blanket and her golden hair spread across his pillow.

He needed to tell her about the intel he had gathered earlier. The Ghoulie they stopped at the back entrance spilled secrets after a few rounds with his brass knuckles. He used them again, practically seething for answers, for the club, for himself, for _Betty_. Ghoulies were, indeed, distributing the Jingle Jangle. They teamed up with a few other gangs from nearby areas and ran a tight ship as far as distribution went. Jughead, however, didn’t care about distribution. Instead he was focused on the manufacturing. The bruised up unwilling informant didn’t have much information for him on that subject—only that the supplier was referred to as the _Candy Man_ and he only ever dealt with Malachi, their leader, alone.

Jughead figured all of that could wait as he stared at her sleeping form, she must have been exhausted from the night before. She was still recovering from being drugged and he moved to his desk, pulling out his laptop and typing away. Hours passed by the time she rose. Jughead immediately shut the laptop, moving over to her.

“Good morning, for the second time today.” He quipped.

“Shit, I’m sorry I fell asleep.” Her voice was thick with sleep and she attempted to tame her unruly waves, matted to her face from sleep.

“No worries, just working on the next great American novel over here.”

She wasn’t sure if he was serious or not, but decided the latter when he grinned and winked at her.

As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly and she giggled.

“You hungry over there?” she teased, full well knowing the answer.

“Always.” She wasn’t sure he meant it, with his obviously lean physique.

“Well, what do you have in here?” she suggested, moving toward the kitchen.

“Honestly, beer, some mixers, maybe a lime, and some old Chinese food.” She turned from her current trajectory and leaned against the kitchen island, facing him.

“Well even _I_ cannot make something from that. So, what is Riverdale’s finest establishment?” she giggled.

“Pop’s, it is. I’ll run out and get it, be back in about fifteen minutes.”

“No, Jug—” she attempted to protest and grabbed his elbow turning him back around to her.

“Listen, Betty. I won’t keep you locked like a princess in a tower much longer… but I talked to a Ghoulie today and left some evidence of our chat on his face. I might have a target on my back right now and I still don’t know what they know about your mom. So please, just stay here _for me_. It’ll only take fifteen minutes and I’ll be right back. Please stay just a bit longer.”

His pleas wiped away her resolve, Betty nodded as she watched him leave once again and waited alone in the apartment.

“Holy shit, Jug! These burgers are _amazing._ ” Betty was nearly finished with her burger and Jughead had already moved onto his second, demolishing the fries as he went.

“You haven’t even tried the shakes yet.”

“Jug, I don’t know if I can eat a shake too! I’m _so_ full and there’s probably like 10,000 calories in this burger alone—not including the fries.” Her comment was meant to come off as a joke, but the ingrained behavior of defending her food choices and passing on sweets— _her mother’s sentiment of a moment on the lips a lifetime on the hips_ , echoing in her head—did not go over well with Jughead.

He put his burger down and turned to face her, “Betty, trust me. You have absolutely _nothing_ to worry about in that department. You’re fucking beautiful, everything about you.” He could see the blush rising on her cheeks and turned back to his burger.

She never responded, instead stuffing the rest of the burger in her mouth and accepting the shake when he offered it.

Once they were done eating, Jughead brought her up to speed on the meeting with the Ghoulie earlier in the day.

“So, I don’t really know what to do next. I’ve never heard of the _Candy Man_ and neither have the few Serpents I’ve asked. We might be at an impasse.” He felt defeated, knowing he wanted to provide these answers to her.

“Don’t worry about it yet. We’ll figure something out.” Betty reached her hand over to rest atop his forearm, squeezing lightly. The moment felt strangely intimate and Betty retracted her hand as quickly as she had placed it. “Um—maybe we should check the paper’s archives. We’re armed with the nickname the _Candy Man_ and my mom’s notes on the location of the manufacturing facility… let’s start with that and see if the town has any information on either topic. Tomorrow, we’ll go down there and check it out.”

“You’re kind of brilliant, you know that?” He was impressed with her resourcefulness and knew he wouldn’t have thought to do something of the sort. He googled any answers he needed and didn’t have much experience in Journalism or researching exposés, so he was grateful she was his willing partner in this quest.

 _Tomorrow,_ he thought… she was staying at least one more day and Jughead was already looking forward to spending more time with her.

They talked for hours, well past midnight discussing scenario after scenario and putting together a large board—complete with strings to connect what they knew and tacked up each file. Many of the points had no connections yet and Betty just stared at it for a long time before finally yawning and stretching.

“Hey, so I should probably go, right? I mean I don’t know if your girlfriend might come home, or you know your friends might come over, I mean I don’t want to get in the way. I can just –” Jughead rested his hand on her shoulder, halting her rant with the touch.

“One, no girlfriend. Two, my friends always knock, and three, you’re not in the way. _Stay_ , I wouldn’t be able to stop worrying about you if you left and you said your house was empty earlier. Just stay another night while we figure this out, okay?”

“Okay” She didn’t protest in the slightest, a part of her hoping the invitation would be extended.

Noting she needed to change, Jughead offered her some of his pajamas and she disappeared into his room. She was too distracted by his touch to realize her suitcase was still sitting on the coffee table.

All he could think about was the fact that he was sitting in his living room while Betty was naked in his bedroom and his body involuntarily reacted. He was staring at her suitcase, realizing she was choosing to put his clothes on instead of her own and groaned at the thought.

She opened the door and he was entranced with the image of her in his pajamas. They were much too large on her delicate frame, but she was still breathtaking. He saw bandages around her hands and considered asking her about them, ultimately deciding not to comment for fear of breaking the thick tension accompanying them in the small space.

“Why don’t I sleep on the couch tonight, Juggy?” _hm, another nickname,_ he thought before responding.

“Absolutely not, it’s safer in the bedroom. At least if something were to happen, or someone were to come for me, you would be separate. I’ve got the couch… no worries.”

While the argument made sense logically to her, she couldn’t help but be disappointed by the answer. Betty surprised even herself next, moving down the hall, stopping a few feet from his perch on the couch. “Well, wouldn’t _I_ be safer if you were _with_ me?”

Jughead raised his eyebrows in her direction and tilted his head, _did she really just say that_?

“I don’t know if safer is the word I would use,” his tone was becoming gruff as he stood, walking to her like a magnetic force was drawing them together. “Take the bed, I’ll stay out here. It’s no problem, really.” His voice was barely above a whisper and she felt his breath on her face.

She was rendered speechless and tilted her head, raising her eyebrows in his direction. “Juggy… come on, stay _with_ me… _please._ Maybe I’m scared. _”_

Jughead shook his head, feeling his resolve crumble with every inch she leaned into him. “I don’t know what it is about you, Betty Cooper,” he paused when their palms met, tracing her fingers with his own, avoiding the bandages, knowing if she wanted him to know she would say something eventually, “but I just knew you’d be trouble for me. I _know_ I’ll be trouble for you.” His final comment laced with the same self-loathing Betty knew all too well.

“I think I might need a bit of trouble in my life.” She breathed before daring to connect her lips to his. He stilled for only a second before returning her fervor. The kiss was long and thorough. It felt electric and Jughead was instantly hooked, drunk on her taste and lost in the moment.

 _Oh, what would Alice Cooper think now,_ flashed through Betty's brain before she succumbed to pressure of his lips and her thoughts slipped away.

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's heating up! Next chapter they check out the Riverdale Register's archives.... and Betty gets an unpleasant surprise. 
> 
> Let me know what you guys think, this is different from my other two fics and I'm having a lot of fun writing it. I hope you all are having fun reading it too!
> 
> ***unbeta'd so I take full responsibility for any and all errors***


	3. 3.20.2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reposted 3/21 with some minor edits thanks to the help of my new beta @WhereAreTheCloudsNow

Betty awoke for the second morning in a row in the monochrome bedroom. The most distinct difference between yesterday and today being the strong arm thrown over her waist. She could hear him lightly snoring and an unbridled smile stretched across her cheeks. She kissed him last night— _ and he kissed her back _ . She hadn’t let it go farther than making out, knowing if she didn’t set clear boundaries herself, she was likely to slide down the rabbit hole of lost inhibitions.  _ It was way too soon to sleep together _ , her thoughts were interrupted by his sudden movement.

He tightened his arm around her waist and she melted into him.  _ She could get used to waking up like this. _ The fleeting though interrupted once more, this time by his obviously over exaggerated yawn. 

“Good morning to you, too.” She giggled and shifted to face him. He looked adorable with a layer of sleep over each of his features. His hair was sticking out in every direction and his eyelids were still heavy. She brought a finger up to run along the sharp curve of his jaw and he leaned in to press his lips against hers.

“G’mornin”, he grumbled before burying his face in the crook of her neck. 

Betty laid there, savoring the feeling of being in his arms, in his pajamas, in his bed, and rubbed light circles on his back in contentment.

“Mmmm, don’t ever stop, baby.” Her heart skipped a beat at the term of endearment and she continued on.

“As you wish,” she whispered breathier than anticipated.

Jughead tilted his head upward and drug his lips along the column of her neck, eliciting sinful sounds for so early in the morning.

“Juggy, we have to go”, her halfhearted protest completely forgotten when his lips met her own. They kissed endlessly, their tongues tangling around each other until they were both breathless.

She pulled back, willing herself to refocus on their task for the day. “Juggy, we really have to go. I want to get to the register in plenty of time to look over everything and maybe even look some other places, too.” Betty’s guilt was creeping on her again as she laid in his comfortable bed, in his comfortable arms, and thought about where her mom might be in that moment.  _ Comfortable probably wasn’t an appropriate adjective, no matter where she was. _

Betty curled her nails into her bandaged palms in an attempt to rid her mind of the ominous thoughts. Jughead felt her hands move on his back, as he felt them curl into fists all he could think about were the wraps. He twisted to lay on his back and brought her hands to rest on his chest, lightly gripping her wrists.

“Betty, I didn’t say anything yesterday… but I just—I really want to know—what are these?” Jughead ran his thumbs across the bandages, still holding her wrists. He had no idea what could possibly explain the heavy wraps around her palms.  _ Was she a boxer? Maybe her knuckles were bruised up? Had she been in a fight? Did she cut herself with something? _

Betty took a deep sigh, no one other than Veronica and her mother knew about her habit. She was on the fence— _ should she tell him?  _

Jughead sensed her internal conflict and shifted them so he was looking at her while holding her wrists, gently, pressing on her pulse point. “You don’t have to tell me  _ anything _ you don’t want to, okay?” She nodded, still silent. “But Betty, whatever it is, I promise not to judge you. You didn’t judge me when you walked in my bar and you didn’t judge me when you saw my jacket. You asked me to trust you and now we’re kind of working together and I want to—I really do want to trust you Betty. But it’s more than that, for me—I just—I  just want to know  _ you… _ but if you need time, I can wait.”

She was overcome with affection for him, basically a stranger, telling her that whatever her deepest secret was, he wouldn’t judge her. That was a foreign concept to her; being in private school her whole life colored every aspect of her world with judgement.  _ Was she thin enough? Was she smart enough? Was she pretty enough? _ Damaging comparative thoughts occupied nearly every crevasse of her younger memories and she was stunned that a relative stranger was willing to drop all preconceived notions about her to simply listen. _ He wanted to listen. _

Betty had always been notoriously closed off, friendly and perky yes, but very few people knew of her own personal struggles. It was hard to maintain the perfect Cooper brand if the cracks in her façade were visible. Her mother always taught her to bite her tongue, remain polite, and ‘ _ keep your personal issues to yourself’ _ . Being there with Jughead, him asking her to share these same secrets that had been taboo for far too long—Betty wanted to let it out. She wanted to feel a connection to someone again. She hadn’t had a boyfriend in years and her mother was her closest companion. Veronica was her best friend but even that friendship had its limitations. Jughead, on the other hand, she felt instantly connected to, she was drawn to him like a moth to the flame and she wanted to let someone in. She had been alone far too long and was growing weary of the emotional isolation.

Betty pulled her hands back gently and unwrapped the bandages. The sight was far less alarming than it had been two days ago, but still gruesome in her opinion. “Sometimes, I just need to center myself. I get carried away in my own head and this helps. I controlled it for a long time… but with the disappearance— “, Betty paused as Jughead brought her hands to his lips, kissing them tenderly.

“Betts, I know we haven’t known each other long at all—but anything you feel the need to do this—please,  _ please _ call me—okay?” 

_ This is ridiculous. He barely knows me, why does he even care? _ She dipped her head indicating she would, though not entirely convinced.

“I really don’t want to talk about it anymore, Jug. Do you have some smaller bandages I could use on them?”

He directed her to the barely stocked first aid kit in the bathroom, grateful that he miraculously had bandages and ointment. She dressed her hands as he rubbed soothing circles on her back.

“Betty, you don’t ever have to talk about it again if you don’t want to. I just want to let you know that I don’t judge you for that.” 

Betty turned to face him, sliding her fingers into his hair and pulling his face down to connect their lips. “Thank you, Jug.” 

Betty mentioned that she needed a shower and Jughead went to grab a towel for her, seeing the suitcase on the coffee table, he brought it along and delivered the items to her in the bathroom so she could get ready for the day’s adventure.

 

-

 

Betty’s connections in the journalistic world paid off for her. They were able to access the archives unsupervised, thanks to an old friend of her mother’s. 

Betty and Jughead had been combing through old articles and public records for the better part of three hours, still with no link had been found to any of their files.  _ Candy Man _ meant absolutely nothing and they hadn’t found a single article referencing a facility near the outskirts of town and their options were looking bleak. 

“I give up, Jug” she slumped over the desk they had been working on and laid her head on her arms in frustration.

“Let’s try searching for just ‘Cooper’ see if anything turns up?” Jughead suggested. Betty figured there were worse ideas and punched it in.

The first article to show up was a profile on her father. Betty stilled as his beaming teenage face stared back at her through the screen. “Hal Cooper, Riverdale’s Golden Son: A Profile” she read aloud and Jughead turned, shifting his focus to her.

The article highlighted Hal’s prominent high-school football career and state college aspirations— _ he had four full ride scholarships at his disposal, but was currently undeclared— _ the article read. Betty skimmed the rest of it and realized she didn’t know any of these highlights of her father’s life. If Betty and Polly hadn’t inquired about him, they’re not sure Alice ever would have volunteered information. Most of what they knew about their father came from their own research and others’ stories. 

Betty remained silent for a long time, staring at his image on the screen that was suddenly much too bright. She felt her anxiety begin to creep up on her and the buzzing of the old monitor was amplified in her eardrums when her breathing became labored. She automatically began to curl her palms inward as her vision began to tunnel when she felt Jughead’s fingers slip between hers, causing her gaze to shift onto their interlocked hands—effectively diverting her eyes from the image of her father in the height of his adolescence.

“Betty… look at me.” She lifted her gaze to meet his and he could see the tears forming in her green orbs. “You didn’t know him, did you?” His voice was gentle, imploring, not invasive, even with the delicate subject matter.

Betty shook her head in response. 

Jughead knew he needed to redirect her attention if he had any hope of stopping the spiral that had already begun. “I told you yesterday that my dad was the lead of the Serpents, right?” Betty nodded, “well, he was  _ always _ the leader. So, I grew up with them by necessity, not by choice.” Jughead focused his gaze on their interlaced fingers, brushing his thumb across her knuckles, he took a deep breath. 

“My dad was always a drunk, a slave to the bottle, and I was grateful for the club’s help on nights I couldn’t find him. He would disappear for days at a time in the beginning, but as I got older it turned into weeks sometimes. Holidays, Birthdays, Graduation—most parents would never dream of missing any of those things—but my dad, he missed nearly all of them. I was always second best to the club. It always felt like the club was his priority and I was just part of the white noise to him. Maybe it’s better not to know someone... He could be whoever you want to remember him as, the moniker father not tainted with any unsavory memories. I can tell you from personal experience—you never come back from a bad father. Certain experiences in your life change you – on a—on a fundamental level, and sometimes you just end up— _ broken _ .” Jughead lifted his gaze to hers once more. 

“At least he never did that to you. Count yourself lucky, he was a football star, a ‘golden son’, it sounds like he left quite an impression on those around him. I know you don’t really know me yet so my opinion doesn’t count for much, and maybe I’m way off base with this but—but I think – I don’t know—maybe you got that from him. So as cheesy as it sounds, maybe a part of him is still with you.” Jughead laughed under his breath as he shook his head, “Okay, the afterschool special is over now. Sorry to bore you with all that.” 

He realized he had just told her more than anyone about his past, other than those who were directly involved in his upbringing. He wasn’t even sure what he said would make a difference.  _ Maybe he was coming on too strong, maybe he was opening up too much, maybe he was setting himself up to be hurt _ , but there was something about the image before him of the beautiful, broken girl with the marred palms that made him want to help her, to share her burden, to alleviate even the smallest bit of pressure from her overburdened mind.

Her breaths were still short and labored—and she lost the battle with her impending tears as droplets gathered on her cheeks, running down to stain her shirt— but they were beginning to even out and she squeezed his hand fiercely. Betty was speechless, grateful for the distraction, grateful for his grounding presence, and utterly fixated on the tale he just told her.  _ He was right. At least Hal never got the chance to disappoint you, Betty _ . Still too overwhelmed to speak, Betty wanted to show her gratitude in another way. She leaned forward until her forehead rested against his and placed a chaste kiss on his lips, breathing ‘ _ thank you’  _ at a nearly inaudible pitch against his lips.

 

-

 

Jughead carried armloads of groceries into his apartment with Betty in tow a few hours later. The remainder of their research trip had been uneventful and they were no closer to an answer than when they left earlier in the day. Betty had suggested on the trip back that they stop and grab food somewhere. Jughead was still apprehensive about spending extended periods of time in public places and opted for the spontaneous grocery store trip instead.

Betty set about cooking and quickly banned him from the kitchen for attempting to snack on the ingredients. She was making French bread pizzas, quick and easy—frozen pizza had initially been Jughead’s suggestion and Betty came up with the compromise. She ate half of one and Jughead polished off the rest with ease. Jughead had lived above the Wyrm for a while now and he couldn’t recall a single time the oven had been used for anything other than already frozen meals.  _ Betty’s presence was changing things in more ways than one _ , he thought briefly.  

Jughead sat at the table, long after his food was finished, afraid to let the last of the pre-discussed activities come to a close. They hadn’t talked about when—or if—she was going to return home, afraid to throw off the delicate balance they appeared to have struck in the last few days. He didn’t want her to leave but he didn’t know what he could say to make her stay.  _ She didn’t owe him anything. They went to the Register, they didn’t know what their next move would be, they were at a dead end. What now? _

Betty gathered the paper plates and disposed of the sparse dinner remnants, lingering in the kitchen while deliberating on her next move. She was leaning over the sink, washing the knife she used to cut the pizzas when she felt his arms slide around her waist and his body press firmly against her back.

“Hi”, his breath was hot on the shell of her ear and her body relaxed into his. She tilted her head to the side and he placed a soft kiss just behind her ear.

“Hi”, she returned, shutting off the water and placing her hands over his forearms. 

Jughead’s lips peppered kisses along the column of her neck as his grip tightened around her waist. Their moment was broken when Betty’s phone began vibrating in her pocket and she straightened up to retrieve it. He groaned into the crook of her neck and she giggled. 

The name  _ Veronica Lodge _ flashed on the screen and Betty twisted away from his grip, holding up a single finger to indicate she would be right back.

“Hey, V,” Betty wandered into Jughead’s room, hoping if she had to answer any embarrassing questions from Veronica he might not overhear the answers.

“How’s the investigation going?”

“it’s only been a day V, so no real progress yet.” Betty thought about bringing up the article about her dad, his smiling face still stuck in the forefront of her mind. “Nothing notable.”

“Well, B, I know you’re brilliant so if there’s anything to be found, I’m sure you’ll find it. I miss you. When are you coming home?”

Betty didn’t know how to answer that, unsure of the answer herself. If she was being honest, she wasn’t ready to return to the big empty house. The thought of returning home alone, sleeping along, waking up alone—none of that sounded appealing to her in that instant as she stared at the still unmade bed she used the two nights previous. “I’m not sure, V. I don’t have any answers yet.”

“Sure, but you can’t just stay there, right?”

Betty paused, “Of course not. I just—I don’t know V—I’m not ready to go back yet.” Betty’s tone was as unsure as her thoughts. She had been actively avoiding the topic of when she was leaving within her own mind. She knew she couldn’t stay in Jughead’s apartment. They had only known each other for a few days and she was surely encroaching on his personal space by now. She knew she should head home soon.

“Come stay with me, B. You are always more than welcome at  _ La Casa de Lodge _ , you know that.”

“I know, V. Thank you—really, not tonight though.”

“Have it your way then! But, B, promise me, if you and your ‘tall’, ‘kind of built’, gang leader do anything noteworthy, let me know.” Betty could practically hear Veronica winking through the phone as she giggled.

“I promise. I will. I love you, V. We’ll catch up soon, I just finally feel like I’m getting closer to the truth and I’m not ready to give up yet.”

Betty intentionally omitted the fact that her and Jughead had kissed, that they were affectionate with each other every chance they got. She didn’t mention his calming presence at the Register or the fact that she told him about her scars. She wasn’t sure why she didn’t tell Veronica, the confession on the tip of her tongue through the whole conversation. But a part of Betty wanted to keep this to herself—to keep  _ him _ to herself. She wasn’t ready to share this with the world yet, and she knew it was too soon to ask what he thought of it all. She just wanted to keep enjoying his easy company as long as he would have her.

 

\--

 

Betty wandered back into the main area to find Jughead sprawled out on the couch, watching an old black and white film. He turned when he heard her enter and motioned for her to join him. She slipped in between his arms and tangled their legs together. She didn’t remember a single frame of the movie, too distracted by the feeling of his body pressed against her own, his arms wrapped around her waist, and his hands gently caressing the thin strip of skin exposed between her shirt and waistband. She was asleep almost instantly and Jughead placed a light kiss on the top of her head. 

“Good night, baby” he whispered to her, knowing she couldn’t hear him. “I’m glad you stayed.”

 

\--

 

Jughead woke a few hours later to Betty thrashing in his arms. She was covered in a thin sheen of sweat, panting heavily and he was alert within seconds.

“Betty… Betty, baby….” When she didn’t respond, Jughead squeezed her a bit more and shifted them so she was facing him. “Baby, wake up….” He traced her jawline with his fingers, attempting again to wake her gently.

“Betty, it’s just a dream. Wake up.” He shook her shoulder and saw her eyes flutter open as she gasped for air. Her hands came up to clutch her throat and her eyes instantly welled with tears. Jughead felt his heart wrench painfully in his chest at the sight. 

He wiped the tears from her cheeks gently and placed a light kiss on her forehead. “It was just a dream, baby. You’re okay, now.  _ I’m here _ .” He muttered as she clung tightly to him. The couch wasn’t a viable sleeping option for both of them all night long and Jughead knew they should move.

“Let’s go to bed.” He hoped she would agree, he needed to hold her, to protect her. She was damaged, that much was certain, but not irreparable and Jughead wanted to do everything in his power to assure her of that. 

She nodded against his chest and they silently made their way into the bedroom, slipping under the covers before she clung to him once more.

Betty needed to be near someone, that was her reasoning. That’s why she didn’t leave when she woke up,  _ right? _ Instead she wordlessly followed him to his room and slipped under the covers before wrapping herself around him again. Thankful he didn’t feel the need for words either. She fell asleep to the steady thumping of his heartbeat under her ear, trying to erase the images from earlier from her mind— _ her mother pounding on a car windshield as the glass began to crack and water rushed into the cab _ .  _ Her car sinking to the bottom of the river with Alice Cooper buckled into the front seat. _

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment with your thoughts <3  
> Hope you all enjoyed the chapter <33
> 
>  
> 
> Reposted 3/21 with some minor edits thanks to the help of my new beta @WhereAreTheCloudsNow


	4. 3.21.2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A million thanks to @WhereAreTheCloudsNow for all of the help as my new beta. <3  
> Thanks to @LazyDaizy for being my biggest supporter <3  
> & Thanks to all of you guys reading this story.  
> The comments & kudos are amazing & I appreciate every single one of them
> 
> Hope you all enjoy <3

 

Jughead had kept Betty cooped up in the apartment for days—save for the trip to the Register and subsequent stop by the grocery store—and she was starting to go crazy. The images conjured up in her head the night before only worsening the impending call to action her mind was formulating. She  _ needed _ to go somewhere, do  _ something _ —anything really—to feel like she was making progress with the disappearance. It had been a few days since the USB drive showed up and as the Register gave them no new clues to where Alice Cooper might be, Betty decided to go back to the drawing board, despite the temptation to lay in Jughead’s arms. The images from the night before still flashing across her mind, too vivid to ignore.

Jughead woke to an empty bed. It had only been a few days since Betty Cooper blew into his life, but he had already grown accustomed to her presence in the mornings and he found himself disappointed her lean body wasn’t wrapped in his arms when he opened his eyes. Jughead peered into the bathroom, hoping to see her there and felt a sense of dread bloom in the pit of his stomach when it appeared empty.  _ Did she leave? _ His feet hit the ground abruptly as he got up to search the rest of the apartment. 

He was relieved when he found her staring intently at the board they threw together the night before last—haphazardly, at the time. It appeared Betty had organized and rearranged its contents before he wandered in.  _ How long had she been awake? _ He noticed how lost in thought she was and with a quick glance at her hands, a sense of relief washed over him, they weren’t balled into fists, instead they rested on her biceps with her arms crossed.

He moved over to where she stood and brought both of his hands up to cup her shoulders. Betty jumped, startled by the sudden contact and twisted her head flashing him a soft smile before returning her focus to the pieces of a puzzle they couldn’t seem to put together in front of them.

“Good morning”, he whispered. Jughead  had gotten used to being able to touch her when he wanted to in the short span of time. He had never been one for physical affection outside of the bedroom. He dated around a bit in high school but never got too serious with any of his girlfriends. He wasn’t openly affectionate with them and even his adult relationships fizzled out before intimacy was established beyond the confines of the sheets. 

Betty Cooper, however, changed all of that in a matter of days. They hadn’t even slept together and he couldn’t seem to keep his hands off her. He meant what he said the first time they kissed— _ he knew he would be bad for her— _ but he couldn’t stay away, not after he had a taste. He was hopelessly addicted to everything about Betty Cooper and he just couldn’t stop touching her every chance he got. He began to massage the tension from her shoulders and dropped a light kiss on the top of her head.

“Mmmmm.. Jug that feels amazing.”

“What’s going through that pretty little mind of yours Betts?”

“I just—I don’t know Jug. I feel like we have all of this information yet none of it makes sense. It doesn’t seem to go together at all. My mom’s last note was about the Serpents, but I’m here and apparently the Serpents aren’t involved.” Betty let out a long sigh, basking in the feeling of his calloused hands on her mostly bare shoulders, she felt the tension slide off her in waves with each press of his fingers into her stiff muscles. “I just don’t know where to go from here.” She sounded utterly defeated and Jughead was at a loss, as well.

“Let’s see, if we aren’t getting anywhere from the end… why don’t we go back to the beginning?” It seemed logical enough for him—not promising necessarily—but logical nonetheless. 

Betty spun around and her eyes were radiant, as if a light bulb was shining straight through her irises. She wrapped her arms around his neck and squeezed tightly. “You’re a genius, Jughead Jones.” She pressed her lips against his in a quick, chaste kiss before turning around and heading toward his bedroom.

Jughead stood there, unsure of how his simple advice had flipped what appeared to be a significant switch in her mind. She quickly returned to the main room with her suitcase in hand. 

“Are you leaving?” he quirked an eyebrow in her direction and eyed the bag.

“Yes, and you’re coming with me. Let’s go.” Betty put her shoes on and was at the door before Jughead had a chance to  respond.

“Okay then. Where are we going today, Betts?” He still wasn’t ready for her to be in public alone. He had some Serpent business to attend to later in the day but considered pushing it back if needed.  _ She shouldn’t be alone _ . He couldn’t shake his unsettling thoughts— _ if he let her out of his sight, out of his apartment, she might never come back.  _ His fears weren’t simply for her safety, though that was arguably the primary one. No, Jughead had seen too many people walk out of his life over the years, leave and never come back, no matter what promises were made at the time and he wasn’t ready to add Betty Cooper to that list.

“Do you trust me?” she asked in return and Jughead felt a grin creep up on his cheeks.

“Yes”, he answered without hesitation, “I do.”

 

-

 

Jughead and Betty pulled up to the Cooper house. It looked just as he had envisioned her childhood home to be. It was a  large two-story with a white picket fence in a picturesque neighborhood. He could see Betty visibly stiffen as he put the car in park. He reached over to capture her hand and rubbed soothing circles on the back of it, attempting to calm her before they went inside.

“You ready?”

Betty breathed in deeply, “as I’ll ever be.”

Jughead was still not sure why they were back at her house. He said to start at the beginning but he didn’t know what information they could find in this house. Surely Betty had thoroughly searched it over the last two months. According to her own accounts she was basically a hermit apart from Veronica’s routine well-checks, but he didn’t know what other options they had. The police were calling the case cold and without new leads, they weren’t actively investigating the disappearance. They weren’t even convinced there was foul play. 

As they ascended the steps, Jughead caught sight of the splintered wood on the front door frame. He gripped Betty’s hand tightly and moved her to stand behind him as he lifted a finger to his lips shushing her. They needed to be quiet, they didn’t know when the house was broken into and there was a distinct possibility the intruder could still be inside. From the street nothing appeared to be amiss but the condition of the front door upon closer inspection told a different story. 

Betty looked at the door and then back to Jughead, her eyes were wide, filled with a mix of fear and apprehension as he debated on their next move.  _ Should he go in alone first? No, he can’t leave her alone out here. Is someone still in there? _ His fight-or-flight instinct kicked in as he decided— _ fight it is. _

Jughead pulled Betty through the door quickly and shut it behind her once they were both safely inside. He signaled wordlessly toward the areas he was going to check out first. It was obvious the house had been ransacked. Every drawer and cupboard was opened and the Cooper’s belongings littered every surface.  _ Someone had been looking for something.  _ Betty followed behind him as they checked room to room for any sign of another presence. She was thankful his hand was gripping hers, keeping them from involuntarily piercing her flesh at the sight of  _ her safe space _ torn to shreds- _ the irony! _

After they cleared the first floor of the house, Jughead tugged Betty behind him up the stairs. He stilled as she pulled him back to the top of the landing, preventing him from making his way down the hall. He could sense that the sight of her childhood home in this state of disarray was more than simply unnerving—it was heartbreaking. Jughead hadn’t noticed any bedrooms downstairs and assumed they were all on this floor. Unsure of what condition they were in, he opted to let her stand there while he cleared the bedrooms, ensuring they were empty. He cupped her cheeks in his hands, rubbing his thumb gently over them to wipe away the tears she was barely shedding. She echoed his movements and brought his lips down to connect with hers for a split second. The gentle pressure of his lips on hers allowing her to breathe for a briefly before he broke away to continue his search.

Jughead checked each bedroom, closet, and bathroom before making a sound.

“All clear baby,” he walked back over to her and enveloped her small frame in his arms. Jughead rubbed her back gently and held her as she began to sob. He could only imagine the pain she was feeling. He felt her nails dig into his back as she clung onto him for what felt like dear life. They stayed that way, wrapped up in each other, Jughead rubbing soothing circles on her back, whispering words of support, until her tears ran dry.

“Who would have done this?” She spoke the words he had been thinking since he caught sight of the front door.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled. “Look, Betty, I know this is hard for you… but I don’t think you should stay here again. Not alone and not anytime soon—if at all.”

Betty’s eyebrows shot up as she realized she may be losing the last place she truly felt connected to her mom. The longer she was gone, the harder it had been to remember her. When her mother disappeared, she became a recluse. Betty virtually never left the confines of those four walls, she found comfort in the memories held within them—memories that were stored in a house now tainted.

They made their way into her mother’s room. It was the first door on the left and Betty’s eyes instantly zeroed in on the broken lamp.  _ It didn’t look so out of place anymore _ , she thought suddenly. The entire house had been tossed thoroughly but her mother’s room was the worst by far. Every single picture off of the wall was shattered and her closet was bare—it’s contest strewn across the floor, even the sheets were pulled off the bed.

“What were they looking for?” Betty turned to Jughead and asked, she knew he had no more information than her but hoped otherwise.

Jughead shook his head in response and watched her begin to pick up the pieces of what was left of her mother’s life in that room.

Betty carefully sorted her mother’s scattered belongings into semi organized piles. She felt numb, overwhelmed by the condition of her house, the progress in the investigation, and the state of her life as a whole in that moment—it was all too much. Too many things had gone wrong in the last few months and she felt the cracks in her façade widen with each item placed neatly into its respective pile. She was organizing the things left behind as she felt everything else falling apart.

Jughead didn’t know what to do. He was afraid to say something, afraid what he might say would exasperate the current situation. Instead he silently started gathering pictures. He figured if there was a picture pile, it was a hard task to screw up. They were making progress on the mess, the semi-organized heaps growing as they went. 

Jughead was nearly done with the pictures as Betty gathered the last of the clothes when he saw another one under the rug by the bedside table. There were glass shards embedded into the rug, presumably from the lamp laid over on it’s side and he gingerly gripped the picture between his fingers as he pulled it up. This one was clearly older than most of the others he had gathered. It had yellowed on the backside and the writing had faded considerably. He could barely make out the words ‘Nana Rose’s Funeral 1998’. He flipped it over and froze.

“Betty?” When she didn’t answer he turned to catch her attention. “Betty…” He held up the snapshot as she turned around to look at it. The picture showed Hal and Alice with a very young girl who looked remarkably similar to Betty between them and a baby in Alice’s arm with light hair and light eyes.

Betty looked at it, skeptical of it’s significance. “What’s so weird about it? I was a baby. My mom put away all of the pictures of my dad when he died. It was just in one of these boxes, put it—” Before she could finish her thought Jughead was shaking his head.

“No, Betty. I guessed it was your family. That’s not why this is important. Do you know where this was taken?”

Betty grabbed the picture and inspected it closer. She saw a grand staircase in the background and a room filled with exquisite and undoubtedly incredibly expensive things. Everyone was dressed in black and she turned the picture over, taking note of the words on the back. It didn’t look familiar and she didn’t recognize the name.

“I have no idea, actually. I don’t even know who Nana Rose was…” Betty was becoming more confused by the second.  _ Surely the term Nana meant it was a relative, but none of her relatives lived in houses that even remotely resembled the one in the picture. _

“Betty,” Jughead placed his hand on her shoulder, “I know this place.”

Betty’s forehead creased as her confusion grew. “How? You don’t even live in Greendale.”

“This is Thornhill Manor. It’s the Blossom’s family estate—Betty, this house is in Riverdale.”

“Okay…?” 

“Do you remember the bartender at the Wyrm the other night?” Betty nodded, hoping he was about to shed some light on the connection. “Her name was Cheryl—Cheryl  _ Blossom _ .”

“Okay? So I just happen to have a picture of my family at a funeral at her house? I don’t get it Jug.” She was straining to piece together the information but was coming up empty.  _ What did the Blossoms have to do with anything? _

“Why  _ would _ your family be at their house?”

“I—I honestly don’t know Jug.” Betty sounded more defeated with each word and he knew they were getting nowhere fast without help.

“I think we need to talk to Cheryl. We can show her this picture and see if she knows anything. It couldn’t hurt, right?” Betty nodded, still clearly distressed.

“Hey,” he coaxed as he slid his hands into hers. “I know this isn’t a solid lead yet, but we’re not giving up, alright?” 

Betty nodded again as she felt a lump form in her throat.  _ It wasn’t a solid lead,  _ she knew that _.  _ She felt as if the trip had done nothing but make matters worse. Her house was destroyed, she didn’t know if anything had been taken, and she didn’t even know what to do next. All she wanted to do was curl into bed next to Jughead and sleep. It wasn’t even late yet but she was utterly exhausted from the emotional trauma of the incident.

“Jug, can we just go please? I don’t want to be here anymore.”

“Of course, baby.” He hugged her tightly once more before she went to her room and gathered belongings off the floor. Her room was ransacked too and she couldn’t hold the tears back as she shoved whatever she could fit into the suitcase she brought back to restock and packed away what was left of her life in that house.

 

-

 

They locked up as best as possible, using an interior bolt to secure the front door and left through the back door. They knew the house wasn’t impenetrable, but hoped nobody would come back after the display they left to be found the first time. It couldn’t have happened very long ago. Betty knew Veronica had been there the day after she left.  _ Who did this? When? Why? _

Betty didn’t say a word on the ride back to the Wyrm—her mind too preoccupied with lingering questions. He took her through the back entrance, away from prying eyes, and they made their way up to his apartment. She dropped her suitcase by the door and went straight to his room, sliding under the covers and letting the welled-up tears escape.  _ She was so tired of crying, so tired of feeling helpless, so tired of feeling numb.  _ She felt herself spiraling as the bed dipped behind her and strong arms surrounded her. She fell into a deep sleep within minutes, the soothing sound of Jughead’s voice filling her head with reassurances,  _ “we’ll figure it out,” “it’ll be okay,” _ and  _ “I’m here.” _

 

-

 

Jughead knew she needed the rest, she had months worth of sleep to catch up on and he slid out from behind her when he was positive she wouldn’t wake. He heard her phone vibrate by the front door a while later as he sat on the couch.  _ Veronica Lodge _ flashed across the screen as he debated whether to answer it or not. The vibrations ceased only for a minute with a missed call before resuming again with another incoming call.  _ Veronica Lodge  _ flashed on the screen again and his internal conflict intensified. When the phone rang for the seventh time, Jughead decided to answer it.  _ Betty mentioned her friend checked up on her. _ He vaguely remembered talks of search parties and knew no good would come of it if they traced her back here.

“OHMYGODBETTY! YOU HAVEN’T ANSWERED ANY OF MY CALLS?! WHERE ARE YOU?!” Veronica sounded worried and Jughead felt awful. This had been Betty’s friend most of her life, of course she was worried about her. Betty’s mother was missing and Veronica had been her only support up until a few days ago.

“Uh—Betty’s sleeping right now.” Jughead wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t want to have a long conversation with her, he didn’t even  _ really _ want to talk to her—but the guilt of knowing Betty’s best friend was worried sick about her caused him to cave. He would hate to be in Veronica’s shoes, unanswered phone calls and questions piling up simultaneously. 

“Who is this?” Her response was curt, a cold tone evident in her questioning.

“Jughead?” His answer sounding more like a question than anything else.

“Jug-Head, is it? Put Betty on the phone  _ right now. _ ” Veronica’s firm timbre made it obvious she expected him to comply.

“No can do ‘V’… I just told you—she’s asleep. I’m not going to wake her. I’ll tell her you called.” A sense of finality accompanied his statement and Veronica laughed menacingly on the other end of the line.

“No way, loverboy. That’s you, isn’t it?” 

Jughead didn’t know how to answer that. Him and Betty had been getting close, but  _ lover boy _ seemed to be a bit much for their current status. _ Maybe she had someone else before she came to Riverdale? _ He knew the idea wasn’t likely. Betty seemed good and honest, he didn’t imagine her being the type to cheat… but  _ lover boy _ … there’s no way that was him.

“Uh—no?” His answer again sounding more like a question than a statement.

“You see, Jug-Head, I think it is. Has she been staying with you for the last few days?”

“Yes?” He felt as if he was being asked leading questions and was apprehensive about where they were leading to.

“That’s what I thought. So listen here lover boy, I need to see my best friend and apparently that means I need to see you too, since you guys have been inseparable for days now.” He could hear Veronica take a deep breath on the other end of the line and prepared himself for the verbal onslaught that never came. Instead her voice took on a softer tone, “I’m worried about her. I’m not sure what all she has told you but I know you guys were looking into her mom. If she trusts you enough to do that, I trust you enough for what I’m about to tell you.”

Jughead was becoming more uneasy with each word and he wondered exactly how much of their time together had been relayed to Veronica. He remained silent and waited for her to continue.

“She needs someone… you know? Someone good, she needs support. I am and always will be her biggest supporter and she  _ needs _ me right now. There’s probably a lot that you don’t know yet. She deals with certain issues and I just need to see her to know that she’s okay. I know this doesn’t make a lot of sense to—”

He cut her off, he was becoming angry. Veronica didn’t know what Betty shared with him. Her snap judgement that he wouldn’t know about her struggles stung his ego. Betty was different to him and based on Veronica’s reaction, Betty at least  _ thought  _ he was different for her too. “I already know about it, she told me. I just want you to know she’s safe, okay? I won’t hurt her. I don’t think I’m even capable of doing that anyway, but I can assure you that I won’t.”

Veronica was silent on the other end of the line for a long moment.

“Okay… then I have to meet you. I’m coming to the bar tomorrow. I need the—”

“No way, not unless Betty says it’s okay first. I’m not making plans for her, I have no right.”

Veronica’s voice took on a sickeningly sweet quality he couldn’t quite pinpoint. “Listen here Jug-Head. I’m all for Betty having your protection, but  _ I _ am her best friend.  _ I _ have been there for her through every single anxiety attack, fight with her mother, breakup, make up, and everything else in between. I  _ am _ coming to the bar tomorrow. I’ll be there at 2 pm sharp, make sure Betty’s there waiting for me.” 

The line went dead and Jughead stared at the phone. He was the leader of a gang and yet somehow, he let Veronica Lodge, who he hadn’t even met yet, steam roll right over him for the sake of Betty.  _ Oh yeah, she was going to be trouble for him. _

 

-

 

Betty slept all afternoon, barely waking for takeout from Pop’s late in the evening. Jughead brought her food to her on a tray in bed and as soon as it was gone, she was under the covers again.

He had been putting off his Serpent duties for the better part of two days and knew he needed to check in on them. He wandered downstairs to find Sweet Pea, his right-hand man. He expected to see Cheryl behind the bar, instead Toni and her pink hair were whipping around making drinks.  _ It’s probably better this way. Betty would want to talk to her at the same time. _

Jughead and Sweet Pea grabbed a booth on the emptier side of the bar, away from prying eyes and ears. Sweet Pea told him that the Ghoulies were still pushing the Jingle Jangle, no one had any new information about the mysterious  _ Candy Man _ , and Sweet Pea had been handling the club business and the bar in his brief absence.

Jughead thanked his best friend for stepping up and filling in before telling him that he needed him the day after next to ‘run an errand’. Sweet Pea agreed, even with a quirked eyebrow, and Jughead kept his plan close to his breast, so to speak, not quite ready to tell him why yet.

When Jughead made it to bed that night, he slipped under the covers and hauled her body back against his, crushing her to him with the force of his arms. He was worried about her. Every little thing had been going wrong and he couldn’t stand the thought of her spiraling again. He rubbed the tender skin on her palms and thought about how much pain she must of been in to do it. They fell asleep with their hands interlocked and his arms surrounding her. He hoped she felt safe, because he knew if she was anywhere else he wouldn’t know if she was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Comments ALWAYS appreciated, let me know if you like it so far <3


	5. 3.22.2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Rating has gone up to M!

3.22.2018

 

Cheryl arrived for her shift at the Wyrm ahead of her scheduled time. As soon as she walked in, Sweet Pea directed her to the stairs.

“Boss wants to see you upstairs.”

“Let me guess, he’s mad I switched shifts with Toni last night without telling him.” Cheryl rolled her eyes, already climbing the stairs with a huff.

Jughead was expecting Cheryl to come up any minute. He knew about her strained familial connections and didn’t want to ask her questions about what the picture could possibly mean in front of everyone downstairs, afraid of her reaction. Cheryl always had a flair for the dramatics and was more than a little unpredictable at times. She knocked loudly and the door opened immediately.

Betty was sitting on the couch, wringing her hands together trying to dispel the nervous energy that was consuming her when Jughead opened the door for Cheryl. She didn’t know how this interaction was going to go and it was driving her crazy. They had talked about what they wanted to ask Cheryl earlier that morning while staring at their board, complete with its new addition of the Cooper family photo at the funeral. The photo was pinned off to the side without any strings leading to it. Next to it was a small white notecard with “Blossom?” written on it. They were simply going to ask her if she recognized the Coopers or knew why they would have been at the funeral.

As soon as Cheryl entered the apartment, she was on the defense. She didn’t even wait for the door to shut before opening her mouth. “Okay, before you say anything Jughead, Toni really needed the money, and I really needed to get laid. So, we just swapped nights. It’s  _ not _ that big of a deal. Certainly not a good enough reason to make me come up here when I should be stocking the liquor shelf and prepping the garnishes. So, can I just go now?”

Jughead had known Cheryl long enough to know that he shouldn’t even try to get a word in until she was finished with her rant.

“Can I speak now?”

“Go on then, out with the verbal lashing.” Cheryl waved her hand in front of her to signal he could have the floor.

“Actually, we should probably go sit on the couch. It might be a longer conversation than you think.”

Cheryl noticed Betty sitting on the couch as soon as she walked further into the apartment and abruptly turned around, raising her eyebrows at Jughead.

“Your very own version of Rapunzel boss? She does have that gorgeous blonde hair so I can’t say I blame you.” Cheryl snickered and turned back around to Betty. “Princess, if he’s been keeping you locked up in this apartment blink once. If you need help blink twice.”

Betty’s face broke out into a smile as she laughed at the insinuation, but made sure not to blink.

“No, he hasn’t been keeping me locked up in here. I’ve just been staying here for—for other reasons.” As soon as the words left her mouth her hand shot up to cover it, well aware of the implications of two consenting adults staying together for ‘other reasons’. “No. No—not like that. I—I mean, I’m just—ugh. Jug… Can you take over please before I shove my entire foot in my mouth?” Her face was bright red, and he was laughing at her childish reaction to the obvious conclusion Cheryl was drawing. They were all seated in the living room, Cheryl in the lounge chair and Betty and Jughead on the couch.

“Yeah. Cheryl, listen, Betty’s been staying with me because we think she might be in danger.” He wanted to reach over and thread their fingers together. It had become second nature in a short period time, but he refrained. He was a little thrown off by how embarrassed she got at the idea of Cheryl knowing they were together.

They hadn’t slept together yet, they hadn’t even gone past a few heated make out sessions, but it disturbed him how embarrassed she got over the idea of Cheryl knowing they were together.  _ They hadn’t talked about what they were,  _ he thought, maybe that was it. His own internal monologue turning sour resulted in his next thought.  _ She obviously doesn’t want anyone to know you two have had a ‘thing’. _ With no real answers as to the reason she reacted so poorly, Jughead opted to keep his hands to himself. He didn’t want to make her any more uncomfortable than this exchange was already going to be.

Jughead stood from the couch to keep himself from reaching for Betty. She was obviously distressed, but it was also obvious she didn’t want Cheryl to notice. So, he stood and walked over to the board, signaling for Cheryl to follow him. He hoped the physical distance between him and Betty would help him control his impulses.

“Okay? Are you like playing detective now, Jughead?” Cheryl was unimpressed at first glance.

“We’re looking into a disappearance actually—”

Jughead was cut off when Betty appeared next to him. “It was my mom.” She sounded despondent and her gaze was fixed on the board. Jughead wanted so badly to touch her, to comfort her, to be there for her in any way he possibly could. But he was still weary of what she wanted from the earlier comment. He refrained from the contact and turned his focus back to Cheryl.

Jughead pointed to the newly added photo with the Blossom name scribbled next to it. “This is why I wanted you to come up here.”

“What the fuck, seriously Jughead? You of all fucking people want to dig up my fucking family history?!” Cheryl hissed the words as she became visibly upset. “Okay, Betty—I don’t know how much he’s told you, but obviously you know something since your investigation has inevitably ended up with a Blossom in question, so here it goes. My family is crazy. Like not normal crazy but certifiably insane. I ex-communicated myself when they brought my twin brother Jason into the fold of the family business and kept me in the dark. I was supposed to be the next in line. I’m the older twin. But because I didn’t have a fucking dick between my legs, they looked right over me.” She turned back to Jughead. “Are you happy now? Because you’ve just fucked up my mood for the entire night.”

Jughead sighed heavily, he hadn’t told Betty anything about the Blossoms yet but Cheryl effectively gave her the cliff notes. “Listen, Cheryl, I really wasn’t trying to upset you. Honestly, it’s just that—in that picture, that’s Betty as a baby, her sister, her dad who died shortly after it was taken, and her mom who is now missing. It was taken at Thornhill. The back says it was taken at Nana Blossoms funeral. We just needed to know if you had any information as to why the Coopers would have been there.”

“Nana Blossom died when I was really young, Jughead. Why would I know?”

“Well, do you remember anything about her? We’re just running out of leads to follow and it seems weird that out of all the information we’ve found, this is the only thing that links us to Riverdale. Her mom went missing about two months ago investigating a drug ring and all of the leads have turned up empty.” Jughead ran his fingers through his hair, exasperated. “We’re just grasping at straws hoping something will click.”

Betty broke Jughead from his thoughts as she slipped her hand into his and squeezed it. “Cheryl, I know I don’t really know you or anything, but this picture has been in a box for years. Someone broke into my house sometime over the last few days and ransacked it. This picture was taken out of a box that I hadn’t seen for years and it’s the only connection I can make to our life before that has anything to do with Riverdale. I—I just, I just don’t know what to do anymore and if my family knew your grandmother enough to go to her funeral, I just think there might be another connection to her in Riverdale. Does that make sense?” Betty’s eyes were wide, pleading for Cheryl to give them any bit of information she could.

“Okay, Betty, I get it. I mean I hate my entire family but a lot of people love theirs, so I get where you’re coming from, but I can’t help. I literally knew nothing about her. She was my dad’s mom and she lived with us until she got really sick and died. Like I said, I was a baby. I know nothing.”

“Well, thanks anyway I guess.” Jughead brought her closer and saw the tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

“Hey, Betty. I’m sorry. I really am. I wish I could be of more help but that funeral was a long time ago. All I know is that it was at Thornhill and we used to have some family pictures from it hanging in our living room. My dad always said, ‘it was the last time the whole family was together’. He loved my Nana more than anyone. He was so upset when she died and he’s thought the family was incomplete ever since.” Cheryl’s demeanor had softened at the sight of Betty’s vulnerability. “I don’t even talk to them anymore, so I really don’t think I could help you with this. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. Thanks anyway.” Betty stood there, staring at the board for a long time before Jughead came back from escorting Cheryl downstairs.

The apartment was empty and he couldn’t control his need to comfort her for another second. Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his head on her shoulder. “I’m sorry, baby. I thought she might be able to help.” He whispered into her ear before placing a kiss in the crook of her neck.

-

A long while passed and Betty and Jughead hadn’t moved an inch when there was another knock on the door.

“Go the fuck away Cheryl!” Jughead bellowed. His arms were still wrapped around Betty’s waist and he could sense the tension lingering in her body from earlier.

A loud knock came from the door again and Jughead groaned as he made his way over to open it. “FUCK OFF CHERYL!”

The door swung open with the last syllable and Jughead saw Sweet Pea on the other side. “What do you need, Sweets?”

“You should probably come downstairs boss. There’s a leggy brunette looking for your girl at the bar.”

Betty was by his side in a heartbeat. “Veronica’s downstairs already? She didn’t even call me.” Sweet Pea lead the way and they all descended the stairs.

As they walked down they could hear Veronica asking about Betty. “Where is she anyway? Are you keeping her against her will? If one of you hurt a single hair on her head, I will  _ end  _ you.”

Cheryl’s distinct voice could be heard next. “Ooohh, you’re excitable  _ and _ gorgeous. I love that in a woman. I’m Cheryl and I’d love to take you out sometime.”

Sweet Pea piped up next, he and Cheryl always competed for women. It had become a game for them and Veronica was too tempting to resist. “Or, if you get tired of your meathead over here, you could give me a call.” He winked at her and a smile tugged at the edge of his lips.

Betty and Jughead approached the bar behind Sweet Pea when a red headed boy spoke up. “Fuck off, you goon and you too lesbo. She’s with me. What would make you think a girl like  _ her _ would want anything to do with either one of you lowlifes?” He slung an arm around Veronica possessively and Betty saw red.

“Are you fucking serious, V? You come here wanting to see me and your flavor of the week insults the bar staff?” Betty turned her focus on to the redhead next. “And you, whatever your name is, what is  _ your _ problem? You think you can come in here and  _ throw out fucking slurs? _ I can tell you’re a piece of shit already. Great taste you have there, V.”

Veronica’s eyes were wide, clearly hurt by Betty’s remark. She had an overwhelming urge to hug her best friend, knowing she had been going through hell lately and hoping to be well received. “B, thank god you’re okay. I thought they might have you captive or held against your will or something.” She attempted to walk over to Betty when Jughead stepped between them. “Get out of my way snake. I haven’t seen my best friend in days and –”

“Seriously, V?! Just because he wears this jacket doesn’t make him less of a person. Don’t come into  _ his _ bar and insult him. Unlike you, he’s been there for me. He didn’t tell me that I was ‘wasting my time’ trying to find my mom like you always have. You may have been physically there for me over the last few months, but you didn’t even  _ consider _ that something was actually strange about my mom’s disappearance. You were just as bad as the police. You thought I was crazy for obsessing over it. You told me to ‘let it go’. Can’t you see that I  _ can’t do that?! _ ” Betty was nearing a hysterical pitch when Veronica’s features softened.

“B, come on, let’s go talk somewhere. I’m ready to listen. Please just—”

“No, Veronica.” Betty’s voice became stern as Jughead tightened his grip on her hands. “I’m done being controlled. My mom controlled my entire life to the point where I was  _ lost _ without her. Ever since she’s been gone you’ve taken her place. I’m tired of being controlled. I’m tired of being told what to do. But you know what I’m even more tired of?”

Veronica didn’t answer, stunned by Betty’s harsh words.

“I’m so  _ fucking tired _ of being treated like this breakable little thing. I do  _ not _ belong to you. You don’t get to tell me where I go and who I see. I think you should leave.” Betty was still upset from the lack of answers earlier from Cheryl, and Veronica and the mysterious redhead’s actions were enough to push her fragile state over the edge.

“B, think about what you’re saying. I brought Archie with me because I was so afraid for you. I thought we might need muscle to get you out of here.” Veronica’s sentiment sounded more like a plea with every word. “Come with me, I’ll help you. Come stay with me and we’ll figure it out all. You’re my best friend, B.”

Jughead was still positioned between the girls. He had been biting his tongue throughout the interaction, in awe of Betty’s actions, but his patience was wearing thin with the visitors. She was standing up to her best friend for people she barely knew and the pride that bloomed in his chest increased with every exchange.

“No, V. I’m staying here. You and Archie can go back to Greendale. Enjoy your privileged little lives and don’t waste another minute thinking about me. If you really cared about me, V, you would have helped me from the beginning. I was too wrapped up in my own mess to realize how controlling you had become. You claim you were worried about me, but I don’t think all of this is from ‘worry’. I think you’re tired of not having me to boss around and follow your every whim. Even in school you constantly decided where we would go, who we were friends with, and even what I wore. I don’t know how I didn’t see it before, but I’m tired of being repressed and I’m tired of being friends with someone who’s so  _ shallow _ that she thinks the only way I could be in a place like this is if I was being held against my will.” Betty took a deep breath, mustering every ounce of courage at her disposal before she spoke again. “I think you should leave Veronica—and I don’t ever want you to come back. Forget my number.”

Veronica was stunned at Betty’s sudden gusto. “B, come on now! We were friends, we’ve always been friends, we grew up together and you know I love you. What has gotten into you?!”

“Seriously, Veronica… you’re asking me what’s wrong with  _ me _ right now?!” Betty’s rage was reaching a peak and Jughead decided to step in.

“She told you to leave. You should do that.”

“As if I’m going to listen to you snake. If she wasn’t desperate for answers, she never would have even looked your way so you can butt out of this.” Veronica’s tone of voice was icy and Betty snapped.

“Get the fuck out Veronica before I have them remove you and that pathetic excuse of a boy toy you’re dragging around.” Betty stood her ground,  each insult Veronica slung increasing her frustrations. 

“Well if you want to slum it with the serpents B, have at. But I’m done Betty. I won’t call you, don’t worry, but don’t come crying to me when a fucking snake ruins your life.”

“Ronnie, let’s just go. These gangbangers aren’t even worth the dirt on the bottom of your sho—” Archie’s words were cut off as Sweet Pea’s fist connected with his jaw.

Everyone was captivated by the exchange and only when Archie’s head hit the ground did Betty and Jughead realize the entire bar was staring at them. Betty’s hands curled inward and pressed into Jughead’s palm before she registered the action. He smoothed her palm out and tilted his head toward the apartment, signaling for her to go upstairs. She nodded and he placed a quick kiss on her forehead while Veronica checked on her boyfriend’s state of consciousness, or rather unconsciousness.

As soon as Betty was gone, Jughead turned to Sweet Pea and they knew what they had to do. “Betty told you to leave, so  _ leave. _ ” Jughead’s tone was venomous, fitting for a snake.

“I don’t think—” she started, only to be interrupted by his booming voice.

“I don’t give a FUCK what YOU think. Get the  _ fuck _ out of  _ my  _ bar before I  _ remove _ you.” Jughead barked with Sweet Pea by his side, a menacing sight for those unfamiliar with the two.

Veronica scrambled to pull Archie up with her and they disappeared through the doors without another word.

“What a bitch.” Sweet Pea stated the obvious, shaking his head.

“Yeah, well that’s how you like them right?!” Jughead teased. Sweet Pea had always dated his polar opposite, girls from means that also happened to be mean were his style.

“Mmmm, Jug… the shit I would do to that girl.” Sweet Pea groaned and Jughead lifted his hand up to stop his train of thought.

“Enough.” Jughead laughed and shook his head. “I’m going upstairs to check on her. I probably won’t be down again tonight. Don’t forget about tomorrow.”

“You got it boss.” Sweet Pea lifted his hand in a mock salute as Jughead made his way up the stairs.

Betty was sitting on the couch with her hands spread against her thighs, clearly making an effort not to curl her palms inward from the earlier interaction. Relief washed over her features when he walked through the door. He moved into the room as she walked toward him and they met with a fierce hug in the middle. “I’m so sorry baby.” He whispered into her ear, stroking her head affectionately.

Betty pulled back and reached for his face, cupping it between her hands. “Jughead Jones, you have nothing to apologize for.” She tilted her head to the side and a smile played at the corners of her mouth. “ _ I’m _ the one who should be saying sorry. What she said down there… I’m so  _ so  _ sorry. It made me so mad, i—I was furious, Jug.” She lowered his head to press her lips against his briefly before continuing. “They don’t know you like I do. I mean, it’s only been a few days, but this feels different. I mean, for me… it feels very different. I might not know you as well as I should, but I’d like to.” She sounded hopeful and Jughead’s was reeling from the sentiment.

He was speechless at her confession. He didn’t really know what to say after the display down in the bar earlier.  _ She had defended him. She had stood up for him. She stood up for the serpents—to her best friend. _ Loyalty was preached among the serpents from a very young age, and the lack of it he saw in his life made her fierce loyalty all the more alluring. His serpents stood behind him, sure, but Betty stood up for him. She chastised her friend for insulting his chosen family and he was utterly astonished at her inner strength. Betty was standing up for social justice while her personal life went up in flames. Her mother’s disappearance had meant her freedom and Jughead couldn’t comprehend how someone could possibly want to stifle the fire inside of Betty Cooper. She was captivating and as he stood there, he couldn’t stop himself from cupping her cheeks and crushing his lips to hers in a bruising kiss. No words were necessary to convey the depth of his appreciation as the push and pull of their mouths spoke volumes.

He slid his tongue along her bottom lip, silently asking for access and she quickly complied. Jughead swallowed every gasp she released, they only broke for air a second at a time. Their tongues twisted and Betty sunk her fingers into his inky black locks. She tugged at his scalp and he let out a low growl, planting his hand on her thighs and lifting her up to wrap her legs around him. He carried her toward the bedroom as the pressure from her center ground down on him, eliciting a low moan from her that drove him crazy.

They stumbled into the bedroom as she pulled on the hem of his shirt, lifting it up. He did the same as they continued toward the bed, sinking into the mattress without an inch of space between them. Jughead broke the kiss to trail his lips down the column of her neck, peppering it with hot, open mouthed kisses. She whimpered and tugged on his hair trapped between her fingers.

“That drives me fucking  _ crazy _ baby.” His low timbre sent shivers down Betty’s body as she felt his breath on her skin.

“So, do something about it.” She breathed, daring him to act on the impulses he had kept at bay for days. They were both adults, not inexperienced children and he  _ wanted  _ her more than he had ever wanted another woman. The way she moved mesmerized him, and he would be lying if he said he hadn’t laid awake thinking about the way they may move together.

He pressed his body into her, sinking further into the mattress. “God, Betty. You’re so fucking sexy.” Jughead groaned as she pushed her hips into his, the ache between her thighs intensifying with each second.

“Touch me.” She plead as her fingers found the waistband of his jeans and popped the button. He returned the favor and their pants joined the pile forming on the floor with the other discarded clothes, leaving them in nothing but three small pieces of fabric collectively.

His hands roamed her exposed skin as she panted from the contact. Her body was burning everywhere he touched and she briefly thought if she was going to die in any way, burning from the inside out wouldn’t be so bad. The trails his fingers left intensified her need and she wrapped her legs around his waist and lifted herself to him.

She could feel his arousal through the thin layers of clothing separating them and she tugged his boxers down, ridding him of the last barrier on his body. He reached around and unhooked her lacy pink bralette before pulling down their matching counterpart. Once they were both bare, Jughead settled back over her and crushed his lips against hers. Betty gasped into his mouth and he was enthralled with the sounds she was emanating. Each time she pressed herself into him, his will to take it slow slipped further and further away.

His resolve broke with seven little words. “I want you. All of you. Tonight.” Without hesitation, he pushed into her and her head fell back into the pillow as she moaned loudly.

He inched backward until he was nearly all the way out before slowly sliding himself deep inside of her. “Fuck baby, you feel so good.” His breath was hot against her skin as he nipped at her collarbone, barely making contact with featherlight touches. Betty was getting frustrated with the slow pace and gentle demeanor. She sank her fingers into his locks and tugged on them, forcing him to meet her gaze.

“Jug, earlier I said I wasn’t breakable. I meant it.” Betty trapped her bottom lip between her teeth and looked up at him with wide innocent eyes, waiting for a reaction.

A deep growl escaped his lips and a new fervor rooted deep within him. They moved together as one as the pace increased. Betty chanted ‘yes’ and ‘more’ as he drove in and out of her, expelling all of the pent up desire he had been harboring since seeing her that first night in the bar. He littered her neck with deep purple bruises as she moaned his name. Betty’s nails sunk into his back and Jughead arched it in response, hitting a spot that had her seeing stars. She tightened around him, the pressure causing him to fall off the edge right after her.

He collapsed next to her, both still breathing heavily and let the silence fill the room until their breaths began to even out. They were tangled up in each other, legs twisted together, and Betty snuggled further into his side as Jughead rubbed her back lightly.

“Betty, baby, I just want you to know that what you said earlier downstairs about us—about me… it means a lot to me. You defended me and stood up for my club. That means more than you know.” His voice was low as he punctuated the thought with a kiss to her temple. Nearing a whisper, he confessed, “I didn’t know if this was what you wanted after what happened with Cheryl. You know… after what you told her.”

Betty pulled back and tilted her head to meet his eyes. “What I told Cheryl?”

“Uh, just that—that you were staying here for ‘other reasons’ and then—I don’t know backtracking when it implied—you know—this.” He tightened his arms around her waist and her confused expression gave way to a small smile.

“Jughead Jones, you thought I would have been embarrassed to be sleeping with you?” She quirked an eyebrow at him as her smile widened.

He could tell she was being playful and a smirk spread across his face in return. “Yeah, I guess. Girls like  _ you _ Betty, they use guys like me for a distraction. We’re never the boyfriend or the husband, we’re always the lover or the secret. I just thought maybe that’s what you wanted—a secret.”

Betty could hear the vulnerability in his voice and shifted them so she was inches away from his face, ensuring he saw every centimeter of her expression before she spoke again. “I don’t want you to be my secret. I wasn’t embarrassed at what Cheryl insinuated. I was just shy and I knew we hadn’t slept together so I didn’t want her to think she knew anything that wasn’t true—yet.” She placed a delicate kiss on his lips as his eyes softened with each word. “You don’t have to be a secret. I never want you to feel like you are anything short of incredible. I know it’s crazy and we barely know each other, but this is good. I want this. I want you.”

Their lips met once again in a thorough kiss before they nestled into each other and fell asleep the same way they had been for days, wrapped in each other’s arms. The only difference that night being that they were both laid bare, in more ways than one.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my awesome beta @wherearethecloudsnow for all of her help with this story. I was impatient and posted it before she looked over it, but it’s edited now. lol I’m a really needy writer and she has been amazing so thanks again for putting up with me @wherearethecloudsnow & I hope you all enjoy!


	6. 3.23.2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to my amazing beta @wherearethecloudsnow for all of your input & help, you are a gem <3  
> Another huge thanks to @Peyton_727 for all of your feedback. You are amazing and I'm so glad we've connected! 
> 
> Things start getting interesting very very soon! Enjoy!!!

 

 

The sound of Betty leaving the bathroom woke Jughead the following morning. He groggily opened his eyes to inspect the source of the noise and was left breathless at the sight of her in nothing but a towel, still soaked from the shower she had apparently taken. She hadn’t noticed he was awake yet. Jughead took advantage of the fact and laid there watching her as she got dressed.

“Morning gorgeous.” He grumbled, his voice still thick with sleep when Betty turned around to meet his eyes.

She padded over to the bed and slipped under the covers next to him. “Good morning.” She leaned down to press her lips against his own and Jughead wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her body flush against his. A low groan escaped his throat at the contact, causing Betty to giggled in return. She tilted her head upward and met his gaze with a serious expression on her face.

“Jug, we need to do something today.” He leaned forward and connected their lips once more, unable to resist the urge to touch her when they were wrapped up in the sheets. He placed light kisses on the side of her jaw before trailing them down to the crook of her neck.

“Okay. No problem. What’s the  _ something _ you have in mind, baby.” His voice was low, muffled by the proximity of her skin as he spoke into her collarbone. Goosebumps were erupting on her skin where his breath made contact and she had to refocus her thoughts before she spoke again.

“I want to find the warehouse today.”

Jughead pulled back and stared at her for a minute before responding. His frame stiffened and he gripped her body tighter against him. “That’s  _ dangerous _ , Betty. We don’t know where it is and we definitely don’t know how well it’s protected. We don’t know who is there or if they’re armed or if—” He stopped, not wanting to spike her anxiety. He knew she got the message and his eyes conveyed the worry evident in his voice.

“I know, but my mom has all these notes about the location and the deliveries and it’s the only option I see. Nothing else is turning up and I just don’t know what to do.” She dropped her gaze to her hands. “No one is knocking on our door with information and – and I just  _ need _ to do something. To feel like—I don’t know—to feel like I’m trying. Does that make sense?” Her voice dropped with each fleeting thought and Jughead’s heart wrenched in his chest at the sight of her frustrations.

“Yeah. Listen, I get it. I do.” He reached forward and threaded their fingers together, squeezing lightly before he continued. “If that’s what you need to do, we’ll do it. But Betty—I mean what I said, it  _ is  _ dangerous.” His free hand came up to cup her cheek as his thumb swept softly over the line of her jaw. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. If we do this, today, can you promise me something?” His expression was soft and Betty was lost in his icy blue gaze, unable to deny him anything in that instant. She couldn’t find her voice and instead simply nodded, anxiously awaiting the condition. “Promise me if we find it, you’ll hang back in the shadows. We won’t go in the warehouse—either one of us—not today. Deal?” Betty nodded again. She wanted to see what was inside, she was desperate for answers; between the unfinished Jingle Jangle exposé and the possibility that it was the last place her mother was seen, Betty  _ knew _ she wanted access to the warehouse, but the deep-rooted worry that was etched on Jughead’s face melted her resolve.

“Okay.” She mumbled quietly before punctuating the thought with a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth. “I promise we won’t go inside  _ today.” _

Jughead caught on to her insinuation and felt the need to speak up again. He knew the Ghoulies weren’t to be messed with. He knew the Jingle Jangle trade was big business. What he didn’t know, however, was how far the Ghoulies would go to protect their secret distribution. He didn’t  _ want  _ to know that answer, not if it came at the expense of Betty’s safety. “No. Betty I mean it. I don’t want you to go inside that warehouse—ever. No matter what we find, we still don’t know what happened to your mom and we don’t know if whoever had her—,” Jughead saw tears well in her eyes at the past tense use of the word before he quickly corrected himself and continued. “Or whoever  _ has _ her—knows about you. We don’t know how far they would go to protect this secret. I can’t let anything happen to you.” He confessed, his voice dropping with the last sentiment.

Betty nodded once more before Jughead captured her lips with his own. The kiss wasn’t soft or sweet, it was filled with a desperate need to bring her as close as possible. Their tongues tangled around each other as their embrace became heated. Betty pulled back to catch her breath and stared into his crystalline eyes.

“I won’t go in the warehouse. I promise, okay?” Her voice was soft as she wound her fingers into his hair and he nodded.

“Okay.” He whispered.

-

They got a much later start than either had anticipated after their heart felt talk. Before they left, Betty and Jughead gathered what they knew from the board and her mother’s notes about the warehouse. They went over their strategy and narrowed down the options for where the warehouse could be, there were only a few buildings on the outskirts of town in areas like Alice’s notes described. Armed with fragments of information, they ventured out to the three most likely locations.

The first location was obviously deserted, there weren’t any cars outside or lights on in the facility. It appeared time had taken its toll on the building, certainly in no shape to house a manufacturing facility that supplied the tri-state area with Jingle Jangle.  _ One down, two to go. _

The next location was a bit harder to access. This property had a large main entrance with one way in and one way out. They weren’t sure if anyone was there, but they weren’t quite ready to find out that answer as soon as they pulled in. They opted for a less conspicuous route and parked the truck about half a mile from the gate, on the side of the property. They ventured through the woods from a path that didn’t appear to have been used for a while and wandered onto the property until they were at a clearing. They stopped just short of the tree line and observed. They could see this facility was in much better shape than the last one. There were a few cars parked around the building and lights on inside.

“Betty, I don’t want to jinx it—but this might be it.” Jughead whispered. Betty’s eyes widened when she looked at him and he could see the desperation in her gaze.  _ He wanted to find the answers for her.  _ They weren’t sure where there might be cameras set up and decided to stay tucked behind the tree line. An hour passed and no one had ventured in or out of the building before Jughead spoke again.

“Stay here. I want to go see something.” Jughead tried to exit their vantage point before Betty pulled him back in, crushing her lips again his.

“Be safe.” She murmured against his lips. “ _ Please. _ ”

He kissed her again, a long thorough kiss that left them both breathless. When he finally wandered down toward the facility, Betty watched intently as Jughead peered into a window on the side of the building. She kept her eyes peeled on him as he watched something inside the warehouse.

Suddenly, Betty saw a few men exit the front of the facility. Jughead hadn’t moved an inch and she could tell he didn’t know anyone was around. She didn’t know what to do. She needed to get his attention. She needed to get him back up to the safety of their hiding spot, she just didn’t know how. The men stood outside the front door, clearly preoccupied by whatever the topic of conversation was. She could tell that the exchange was heated and kept darting her gaze back to where Jughead stood.

They didn’t appear to know that Jughead was outside the facility less than 100 feet from them. He was still intently staring in the window and Betty didn’t know what to do. She pulled her phone out to snap a few pictures of the mystery men as they disappeared behind the front door.

Jughead snuck back up to their hiding spot and swiftly grabbed Betty’s elbow, he silently led them through the woods to where the truck was parked. They both climbed in and were on the road before either of them spoke.

“Betty, that’s it. That’s the facility. I could see Malachi inside with some of his men but then some of them disappeared for something and Malachi was left with another guy. They seemed to be deep in conversation about the Jingle Jangle. I couldn’t hear what they were saying but I saw them dipping into cases and cases of the drugs. Betty—I think I just saw the Candy Man.” 

“Jug, those guys that you said disappeared, they went out front and it looked like they were arguing. You were fixed on the window and they went back inside before you moved so I couldn’t signal you… but I took pictures of them. At least we have an address now. We can search for whoever owns the land when we get back. Maybe it’ll tell us who the Candy Man is… or who is in charge of it all.”

Jughead captured her hand with his own, twisting their fingers together and brought it to his lips to place a kiss along her knuckles. “Thank you, Betty. Thank you for staying hidden. Thank you for staying safe.” He kissed her hand again and Betty shifted on the truck’s bench seat to press her side against his. She slid under his arm and reveled in the feeling of safety that had been so foreign to her for so long.

“Thank you, Jug. I couldn’t do this alone.” She whispered as he tightened his grip on her and they drove back to the Wyrm.

-

As soon as they were back at the Wyrm, Sweet Pea caught Jughead in the hallway. “You ready to go boss?”

Betty turned around, a confused expression painted across her face as Jughead nodded at Sweet Pea. “Yeah, just give me a minute.” Jughead lead Betty up to the apartment and shut the door before turning to face her again.

“Jug, where are you going?” He saw her forehead crease with concern and brought his hands to rub up and down her arms. 

“It’s just some regular serpent business Betts, no big deal.” He tried to sound casual but the way his voice cracked the slightest bit and the way his eyes avoided hers told a different story. “I’ll be back soon, I promise.” His attempt to placate her seemed to be working. “Look into the property information and I’ll be back before you know it. Okay?” His calloused fingers were still running up and down the length of her arms and she conceded with a nod. He leaned forward to press his lips against her forehead and she wrapped her arms around his waist, squeezing tightly.

“Okay.” She tilted her head upward to press her lips to his once more before he moved toward the door.

“Hey! Jug—,” she called after him. “Be safe.”

A smile played at the edge of his mouth before he turned back around to press a lingering kiss to her lips. Her hands found purchase on his chest as she drank in his essence surrounding her. He smelled like soap with a touch of smoke and she tried to memorize the scent. They stayed connected for a long moment, each attempting to pour every ounce of the words unspoken into the action.  _  He knew he was lying, it wasn’t regular Serpent business. Did she know he was lying too?  _ When they separated, Jughead leaned his forehead down resting on hers and his words were barely audible when he breathed ‘ _ always _ ’. 

As she shut the door, Betty was struck by the domesticity of the exchange, the feeling of his lips against hers felt more like a habit each time he did it, as if it was their version of normal, their version of a daily routine that would continue for years to come. She felt as if she were a housewife sending her husband off to a dangerous job; only she knew they weren’t married and dangerous probably didn’t even begin to cover it.

Jughead wandered down the stairs to find Sweet Pea waiting by the door. Cheryl was behind the bar and he made a quick pit stop to ask her if she could check in on Betty while he was gone. He wanted to make sure she was safe. He was planning to go see Malachi and he knew if things went sideways, there was a chance the Ghoulies would end up at the Wyrm. He was going to do everything in his power to ensure that didn’t happen, but he wanted to know she would be safe even if it did. Cheryl agreed to the hourly rounding until he returned without much hesitation.

Sweet Pea and Jughead mounted their bikes and rode off to Malachi’s clubhouse. Jughead was lost in thought along the drive. He was going to ask Malachi if the Serpents could join the Jingle Jangle trade. He hadn’t discussed the plan with Betty, knowing she wouldn’t go for the brazen attempt. He didn’t want to lie to her, but a deep-rooted need to solve this had taken hold inside of him, and he just couldn’t let the leads trickle in on their own anymore. Action needed to be taken and he didn’t know of another way. After seeing Malachi at the facility this morning and the sheer volume of boxes they had inside, he knew this option wasn’t the brightest, but he didn’t know what else to do. He didn’t actually want the Serpents dealing Jingle Jangle, he just wanted access inside the operations. If Malachi let him get the Serpents involved, he would have to deal with the repercussions after the fact. Jughead was broken from his thoughts as they pulled up outside of the clubhouse and dismounted their bikes.

-

Riverdale wasn’t like most cities; their online records were few and far between for land deeds and Betty was getting frustrated. She decided to look at the county records next and quickly found the address of the warehouse. She skimmed the sales history on the property and promptly dropped her pen on the desk as she processed the words on the screen in front of her.

The land currently belonged to Penelope Blossom, it was last sold in the late 90’s. The previous owner was none other than her own father, Hal Cooper. Betty looked back further through the purchase history and was met with a litany of names ending with Blossom.  _ It was a Blossom property. Why did it go into her dad’s name? Why did Penelope buy it back? 1999… that’s the year her father died. Was that part of the money for her trust settlement? _ Betty’s head was spinning from all of the information when she heard a knock at the door.

Her heartbeat echoed in her ears as she slowly rose to answer the door. Cheryl was on the other side, looking unimpressed, as per usual. “I’m in charge of hourly check ups while your boyfriend is gone.” Betty could feel the blush stain her cheeks at the label. She wasn’t opposed to it, but they hadn’t talked about what was going on with them. Betty was unsure as to what their label was  _ but boyfriend didn’t sound so bad _ , she thought.

“Well, I’m fine. So, I’ll see you in a bit.” Betty shut the door before Cheryl could say another word and twisted the lock on the handle. With the Blossom name floating around in her head, she wasn’t quite ready to talk to Cheryl. Jughead needed to know what she found out before they spoke to Cheryl about it—if they wound up talking to her at all. Betty was innately distrustful, a lingering side effect from her sheltered upbringing. With all of the confusion surrounding their current predicament, she wasn’t quite ready to extend her shaky circle of trust past the blue-eyed boy she had been staying with just yet.

Betty dove back into Google as the hours ticked by, Cheryl stopped in every hour like clockwork and she was quickly dismissed each time. Betty began to worry, it was getting late and Jughead hadn’t returned. She didn’t know how long he would be gone  _ but regular serpent business shouldn’t take this long _ , she thought.  _ Was he telling the whole truth? _

-

Sweet Pea and Jughead were let right into the clubhouse under the guise of negotiations. The Serpents and Ghoulies had run parallel to each other for years. They had never mixed their business dealings, but each club’s previous presidents were known enemies. Malachi took over for the Ghoulies around the same time Jughead stepped up within the Serpents.

They were escorted to a back room where Malachi was sat behind a large desk. There was a gun on the table and Jughead felt the cool metal of his own piece tucked inside his waistband. He and Sweet Pea strapped up before they left the Wyrm.  _ Just in case _ , he thought at the time. He was glad now that they were both prepared. If the meeting didn’t go as peacefully as he had hoped, Jughead wanted to know they were protected. They entered the room and sat at the desk opposite Malachi before anyone spoke.

“So, snakes, what brings you to our humble abode today? I haven’t seen you around here since you roughed up one of my guys a few days ago.” Malachi picked up a glass filled with honey colored liquid and downed it before continuing. “I thought about coming to you and asking you about it, but he told me the nature of your questions and I had a feeling I’d be seeing you sooner or later, anyway. You’re wondering about how the Jingle Jangle is made.” It was a statement, not a question and Jughead nodded, wanting Malachi to spill every ounce of information he was willing to, before jumping into the conversation.

“Well, snake, I can’t tell you anymore than he did.” Malachi reached forward and grasped the pistol on the table. He thumbed the safety and looked back up at Jughead and Sweet Pea. “So again, what brings you two to my clubhouse?”

“Well, we’ve noticed how well the Jingle Jangle has been doing for you guys and we want in. The Serpents are running low on funds and the Ghoulies success has inspired us.” The words tasted sour in his mouth as they spilled from his lips. This was all a lie; the tangled web he was weaving was sure to be complicated, but he continued on, consumed by an overwhelming need for answers. “We want to join you.”

Malachi laughed and Jughead felt the muscles in his body tense at the menacing sound. “You see snake, I just have a hard time believing you.” He rose from behind the desk and picked up his gun before repositioning himself between them. Malachi leaned down between the two men and lowered his voice before he spoke again. “I know you’re lying. But I was curious to see what tale you spun when you arrived.” Malachi gripped the gun as he straightened up. He appeared to be inspecting it, deep in thought. “I think it’s time for you to leave.”

Jughead wasn’t ready to give up yet. He knew Malachi knew the Candy Man; he had seen them together that very morning at the warehouse. He was fed up with the lack of answers and decided to get a little pushier. “No. I don’t think it is.”

Before Jughead could continue the barrel of Malachi’s gun was pressed against his head. The cool metal pushed slightly into his flesh and he was furious. Sweet Pea watched the entire exchange. They were both strapped, but their pieces were tucked away in the back of their pants, held there by their waistbands. With Malachi’s eyes directed at them, they couldn’t easily access their defenses. They both knew, even if they pulled their own guns, they wouldn’t make it out of the clubhouse unscathed.

“Leave now snakes while you’re still intact. I’d hate to send you back in pieces, but I’m more than willing to do that if you overstay your welcome here. I’ll give you enough respect as another club leader not to kill you right now, but you need to keep your nose out of our business. We don’t need any help and we wouldn’t take it from the Serpents anyway. Stay away from my men, stay away from my clubhouse, and stay the  _ fuck away from my warehouse _ .” Jughead froze.  _ He knew they were at the warehouse earlier. Does he know about Betty, too? Surely not, she was hidden in the tree line.  _ Malachi was toying with the gun, putting a bit more pressure on his temple with the barrel. “Listen here snake, tell your pretty blonde girlfriend not to stick her nose where it doesn’t belong. That goes for you too. The Jingle Jangle, the Candy Man—that’s my business. You fuck with me snake,” Malachi paused as he leaned close enough for Jughead to smell his foul breath. “I will destroy you.”

Jughead saw red at the mention of Betty and abruptly stood up. Sweet Pea mirrored his actions as they both reached for the guns they had tucked away.

“Pull that on me and I promise neither one of you will leave here alive.” Malachi threatened as he moved toward the door. He kept the barrel trained on the two men as he opened the door and signaled for another one of the Ghoulies to join them. While his back was turned, Jughead gripped the pistol in his waistband. He toyed with the idea of pulling it, but knew he had to get both of them back to the Wyrm safely. He withdrew his hand from the piece, deciding better of the brash idea. “It’s time for you to leave. Verne here will show you out.”

They both stood and moved toward the door but before Jughead could exit, Malachi pulled on his jacket. He placed the barrel to Jughead’s temple once more, their eyes locking. “I mean it. I have security cameras set up at each gate and at every entrance and exit in the building. Next time you or your girl step an inch onto the land….” He paused. “Well, let’s just say it won’t be nearly as civil as this meeting has been.”

Jughead clenched his jaw, every fiber in his being was screaming to respond. He wanted to pull his own piece and shove it in Malachi’s face. He wanted to pull the trigger for even mentioning Betty. Jughead knew rationally that if he did that, an all-out gang war would ensure and he wasn’t ready to deal with that, too. It took every ounce of self-control he had to nod and walk out of the clubhouse without another word. Verne watched them as they mounted their bikes and drove off toward the Wyrm.

Furious was an understatement for Jughead’s current condition. He pulled off the side of the road and came to an abrupt stop as Sweet Pea followed his lead.

“FUUUCCCKKKKK!” Jughead screamed into the void of the empty forest. He unclipped his helmet and tossed it on the ground forcefully before bringing his fingers up to comb through his hair.

Sweet Pea and Jughead lingered on the side of the road for a while. Sweet Pea expressed his concern over the Serpents being involved with Jingle Jangle and Jughead told him that wasn’t the actual plan. He told Sweet Pea about Alice’s disappearance and their visit to the Jingle Jangle warehouse that morning. He walked him through the last few days and vented his frustrations to his best friend.

-

Jughead walked through the door to his apartment and was unsurprised to find Betty hunched over her laptop. The sound of the door opening broke her concentration and she jumped up as soon as he came into view. Betty wrapped her arms around Jughead and crushed their bodies together.

“Thank god you’re back, Jug.”

Her embrace caught him off guard and he found himself wrapping his arms around her waist to eliminate any excess space that may have been there before. After the meeting with Malachi, that thankfully didn’t go completely sideways, and the long talk with Sweet Pea, all he wanted to do was lock them in his apartment and ignore the outside world.  _ If only it was that easy,  _ he thought. They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms, breathing in each other’s scent for longer than either realized.

“I was worried about you.” She mumbled into his chest.

Jughead pulled back and met Betty’s gaze. The worry was evident in every crease around her brilliant green eyes and he felt his heart wrench in his chest at the sight. “I’m fine, baby.”

“You know what I realized when you were gone?” Her voice was barely above a whisper as she clung to him for dear life.

“What?” He inquired.

“I don’t have your phone number. So, every time I thought about where you might be or I thought about calling you… I couldn’t.” She laughed lightly and shook her head. “That’s silly, right? I mean I’m staying here and we’re investigating this thing with the Jingle Jangle and my mom and you’re—you’re the closest person to me right now—and—and I don’t even have your phone number.” Her voice began to break at the end and Jughead could see the tension of the last few days sitting heavily on her shoulders. She was much more weighted down than he had seen before. A single tear spilled down her cheek and Jughead pulled her flush against his chest once more, gently caressing her hair as she sunk into him.

“You could have asked Cheryl for it, you know?”

Betty laughed again and swiped her hands across her cheeks. “Yeah. I guess you’re right. She’s been doing her rounds for you, by the way.”

“Good.” He knew as much from Cheryl’s debrief down in the bar before he came up to join her, but he let Betty tell him again anyway.

“Where did you go?” Betty whispered, burying her head back into the cavity of his chest. She knew she had no right to ask. They weren’t officially anything, there had been too much going recently for them to find time to address it.

“Serpent business.” Jughead stood on the fence for a few minutes. Part of him knew that he shouldn’t tell her what Malachi said, he truly did want to shield her from everything that was going on. He feared for her safety every minute they were apart and he found himself unusually attached already after only a few days. Another part of him, though, knew she wouldn’t want to be kept in the dark with  _ any _ new developments. He knew her mother sheltered her for the majority of her life and after the display with Veronica, he didn’t want her to think he wanted to do the same. Jughead ultimately decided he needed to tell her—she deserved the truth, no matter how ugly it may be.

“What is it, Jug?” Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. She could tell he was deep in thought, but she didn’t know what was running through his mind.

“I went to see Malachi.” The words clumsily spilled from his lips as Betty visibly stiffened.  _ There were a lot better ways that could have been said _ , he thought fleetingly before continuing. “I mean, I went to the Ghoulies clubhouse and I asked them about the Jingle Jangle.”

“JUGHEAD, why wouldn’t you tell me that?! You could have gotten hurt, or killed, or kidnapped…..” She knew something was amiss earlier, something instinctively told her that was more to his story. Even with his confession, was it really all out in the open now? Her worries took a backseat to her irritation, he told her he wasn’t truthful and it hurt deeper than she cared to admit.

Realization washed over her face at the idea that he had gone into the dangerous den and made it back in one piece. She surged forward and pulled him flush against her once more. “Thank god you’re okay, Jug.” The range of emotions he witnessed ended abruptly with gratitude and he tightened his grip on her. She was grateful he was back in one piece and he felt the same, grateful she was safe, in his apartment, unscathed by their proximity to trouble. 

“I’m okay. I just didn’t want you to worry.”

“Well, going forward, know that I will  _ always  _ worry a whole lot more when you don’t tell me where you’re going ahead of time.”

He pulled back and laughed, quirking an eyebrow in her direction. “You mean you were more worried when you thought I was doing ‘regular serpent business’ than you would have been if you knew I went to the Ghoulies clubhouse?”

“Well…. I mean—no?” She stuttered. “But now that I know that’s your typical response, I will  _ always  _ be worried every time you’re cryptic.” She lifted her eyebrows to punctuate the point and ensure he was focused on her gaze.

“Always, huh?” He teased. Betty hadn’t realized what she said until his comment and she immediately felt a deep blush stain her cheeks.

“You know what I mean.” She wouldn’t meet his eyes as she felt the blush creep further onto her skin. She knew she was lit up like a Christmas tree at the moment, she could feel the heat on her chest running up her neck and landing on her cheeks.

He leaned forward and placed a finger under her chin, directing her gaze upward. “I hope you mean what you said.” He confessed. Betty’s eyes softened around the edges and a smile played at the corner of her mouth.

“Maybe I did.” She breathed before pressing their lips together for a languid kiss. They hadn’t talked about labels and with the word ‘always’ echoing in the minimal space between them, Betty didn’t feel the need to. Whatever was going on with them then, whatever this was, it was a long-term thing for him, too.

They wound up tangled up in his sheets, in his bedroom again that night—it was becoming part of their regular routine and Jughead couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread. Sure, he had told Betty about the meeting with the Ghoulies, but he hadn’t told her about the threat from Malachi.

Betty laid in bed that night thinking about the dangers that he could have faced. He wasn’t entirely honest with her, she could tell. While they may not have known each other very long, she was raised by an investigative journalist and certain tells applied to everyone’s lies. It may have only been a half-truth instead of an outright lie, but it made her feel uneasy nonetheless.  _ What was he hiding _ , she thought, as she drifted off to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you are all enjoying this fic so far, if you do please feel free to comment or leave kudos, they mean a lot to every writer <3


	7. 3.24.2018

 

Betty couldn’t shake the feeling that Jughead wasn’t being 100% honest with her as she wandered around the kitchen. She knew there was more to his visit with the Ghoulies than he was letting on, she just didn’t know what that something was. 

Thanks to the groceries they picked up a few days prior, there was plenty of breakfast supplies on the fridge for her to choose from.  Breakfast was served and devoured in no time. Once their plates were cleared from the table and all that lingered were their nearly empty coffee mugs, Betty decided it was time to share what she learned about the deed. 

She cleared her throat and prepared to venture away from the small talk that permeated their morning meal. They were both tip toeing around whatever dishonesty was lingering from the night before, well-aware the other was too.

“So last night while you were gone, I researched the land the warehouse was on.” She paused for a long minute, unsure of where exactly to start. He nodded, encouraging her to continue.

“Well, Penelope Blossom owns it now. Which doesn’t seem that strange because the Blossoms own so much land here in Riverdale. What does seem strange, however, is the fact that it was in my dad’s name before hers. It – it was sold in the late 90s right after his death to Penelope.” She went on to explain the remainder of the sordid sale history and the Blossom name littering the sheet over and over again. Jughead’s brow creased as he tried to digest the information, his brain shooting out questions like rapid fire-  _ The Blossoms own the land? Were they involved in the manufacturing? Was Clifford the Candy Man? Maybe it was Penelope?  _

Betty was relatively well versed, thanks to Google, in the Blossom family’s history - at least the parts that were public knowledge. They were the most prominent family in the area and bits of their family history could be found in nearly every piece of historical Riverdale literature. She couldn’t rectify the connection with her father owning the land and the Blossoms having it beforehand.  _ It just didn’t make sense,  _ she thought _. _

“There’s one more thing, Jug, Since the Blossoms owned it before my dad, at some point they either sold it to him or gifted it or something. The last owner before him was Rose Blossom, but I don’t see a purchase price when he took over it.”

Jughead rubbed his chin thoughtfully, “So, what’s your theory here Cooper?”

“I—I don’t really know. I mean why would my father have land in Riverdale that was just freely given to him from the Blossoms?” Her tone was questioning and he could tell the pieces weren’t quite fitting together for either of them yet.

“Why don’t we add it to the board?” He suggested, fresh out of other ideas.

They took the pieces of paper Betty had meticulously printed out the night before and arranged them on the board. The strings weaved from the funeral photo, through the ownership records of the warehouse, all the way to her mom’s location notes. Some small things were starting to link together, but the origin of their strained connections were still elusive to both Betty and Jughead.

She stared at the board for an extended period of time in silence before she felt Jughead’s hands come up and cup her shoulders, gently massaging them, hoping to dispel some of the tension rooted deep in her muscles. He leaned down to drop a kiss in the crook of her neck and she turned to face him, clearly distraught by all the new information. They could find bits and pieces of leads, but none of it mattered if they weren’t adding up. The whole picture was the only thing that mattered and they were only minutely closer to the answer than they had been when this whole thing started.

Jughead brought a hand up to gently cup her face, sinking  his fingers into the golden tresses of her hair. “Baby, we’ll figure it out.” He wasn’t nearly as sure of the sentiment as his voice led on, but the need to comfort her overshadowed his own unease. He leaned his forehead down pressing it on her own and lowered his voice. “I promise you we will figure this out.” He whispered, nearly inaudibly, before Betty reached up to connect their lips.

“OH!” Betty spun back around so fast he hadn’t even registered the absence of her lips on his own before she was racing over to the board.

“Flash of genius?” He quipped.

“I’m so stupid! I can’t believe I didn’t notice last night. Look at the dates Jug!”

He read aloud, following her finger as he spoke. “1999 transfer from Rose Blossom to Hal Cooper. Wait. Betty… That’s right after the funeral. Does that mean?” Betty was nodding her head so fast he couldn’t help but smile at her elation.

“I think so! Jug, we might have a real lead. I mean it can’t be a coincidence that the warehouse my mom was checking out used to belong to my dad. Was he involved with the Jingle Jangle before he died?” Her eyes grew wide and she grasped his forearm. “Jughead, what if my family was at the funeral because my dad was in the will? What if the land was part of her assets and she gave it to my dad? Maybe that’s why there’s no sale price listed. He could have inherited it.” Betty wasn’t entirely sure how it worked into the rest of their theories, or what exactly the strengthening links between the Coopers and the Blossoms meant, but she had a feeling it was more than just a coincidence.

“I know what we need to do.” Betty continued as she walked over to the picture from Nana Rose’s funeral. “Jughead, we need to go back to my house. We need to look through the box with my dad’s old information. We need to get to the box this came out of.” 

-

They entered the former Cooper house just as they had exited their last visit, through the back door. No one appeared to have been there since. The house was eerily still, half sorted piles laid scattered around in every room from their previous visit, giving the space a chilling vibe. Betty tried not to focus on the remnants of her former life littering the floor and focused her gaze on the stairs instead. They made their way up the stairs and into Alice’s room. Betty immediately crouched down to the floor and went in search of something under the bed. Jughead wasn’t sure what she was searching for but opted to observe until she said otherwise.

“No. No—no way.” She was speaking more to herself than to him, but he answered anyway. “Why would they take  _ that _ ?”

“What is it, Betts?”

She stood and paced back and forth on the rug. “There was a box here. It’s been under my mom’s bed since I was little and it—it had all of my dad’s stuff in it. It had a bunch of family pictures, like the one we found—and it—it had a copy of his estate.” Betty began to pace the room, trying to think of why someone would take a box of her Dad’s things. She paused and then gasped, “Wait!” Jughead could almost see the light bulb illuminate over her head as she rushed out of the room. He followed leisurely and spotted her in what appeared to be an office, elbow deep in a filing cabinet.

She searched file by file for a few minutes before grasping a folder and pulling it out. “AHA!”

Jughead beamed at the sight of her, so clearly pleased with herself and the discovery. “Whatchya got there Betts?” He teased.

“This is  _ my  _ trust. I don’t have access to it until I’m 25, but it was set up for me when my dad died. Maybe it’ll tell me what was sold before his death to set it up. Maybe—” She inched closer, still gripping the folder in her hand. “Maybe it’ll have information on the sale of the warehouse land in it.”

The actual document appeared to be at least a couple hundred pages long with some loose-leaf additions in the folder. They knew it would take time to look over everything that had been involved in it and Jughead didn’t want to spend a second longer in the house than absolutely necessary. The front door lock was still broken and they didn’t know who had ransacked it to start with. They did, however, now know of at least one thing that was missing—the box of Hal’s memories. Jughead couldn’t help but wonder, _why?_

-

They were both back in the safety of Jughead’s apartment above the Wyrm and the trust was laid out, covering not only the coffee table, but spots on the floor, as well. It was extremely involved and totaled just over $1 million that was set to be Betty’s in a little less than four years.

“It appears my Dad gained the assets primarily around the time Rose Blossom died. Some of these accounts were inherited while others came from the sale of his businesses. However, the strange thing about it is that he didn’t have such large shares in the business before she died either. So, was he involved in the Blossom family businesses? If he was, why?” Betty was speaking more to herself than Jughead as she chewed on the tip of her pen in concentration.

“Was he a Blossom?” Jughead ventured a guess, it seemed like the most obvious conclusion, but Betty was shaking her head.

“How? I mean our surname is Cooper. He was a male in the family, why would his surname be any different? He talked about grandpa Cooper all the time. I mean, maybe by marriage?” She was lost in her own world of rationale again and Jughead decided to observe as the thoughts spilled from her lips, uninterrupted. “I did a genealogy project back in high school. I researched the family on both sides back to my grandparents but there wasn’t a whole lot of information on his side before then. Maybe we can cross reference some of that?”

Jughead nodded, pride bloomed in his chest as the wheels visibly turned in her head and she looked at him excitedly.

“Sounds good to me.” He smirked in her direction and her grin grew wider in response.

“Good, I’ll have to recover my old email information because I have the report and research backed up on my documents. I should have it together soon.” Jughead caught her by the waist and playfully tugged her down on the couch before she was irreversibly glued to her laptop for the next few hours. She landed sideways on his lap giggling and he wrapped his arms around her, tugging her closer before burying his face in the crook of her neck.

“I have to do something today.” His words echoed as Betty’s playful demeanor stilled and she twisted around to face him.

“Sweets and I are going to stake out the warehouse. I didn’t tell you before, but you should know that Malachi saw us the other day. He knows we’re looking into the Jingle Jangle but I don’t think he knows about your mom.”

The concern was evident in every crease around Betty’s wide eyes as she brought her fingers up to trace his jawline. “I want to tell you not to go, but something tells me you would anyway. So, instead I’m going to tell you to be careful. I’m not happy you didn’t tell me what Malachi said earlier, but I want to trust that you had your reasons.”

He was in awe of how she reacted to the news of his omission.  _ She wasn’t mad—she was concerned. _ He knew he needed to tell her the rest. “I wanted to tell you earlier, Betty. I just didn’t know how. I didn’t want you to worry.” He took a deep breath and came clean. “He—he didn’t just mention that he saw us, he threatened me and he—he threatened you. Malachai said if we came looking again, he would ‘destroy’ us.”

“Jug, for whatever it’s worth… I don’t think you should go.” She paused her soft-spoken words to look into his icy blue eyes. “But I stand by what I said earlier; I’m glad you’re being honest with me this time. At least I  _ know  _ to be worried now.” She laughed quietly to herself, the wheels clearly spinning behind her emerald eyes. “If they didn’t know my mom was staking it out, there must be a way to observe unseen. Make sure that however he saw us the other day, it doesn’t happen again.” Her fingers danced along the side of his face, moving down to his neck as they wrapped around and sunk into his locks. 

Betty pulled away abruptly and pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket. Missing her lips on his own, Jughead gave her a quizzical look. 

“Program your number into my phone before you leave,  _ please. _ ” Betty said, giving him a no nonsense look. 

Jughead chuckled and pulled her face down to his own once more. 

-

The apartment was eerily quiet save for the rhythmic thumping of the music radiating through the floorboards and the clicking of the keys on Betty’s laptop. Jughead left shortly after dark, fully suited in black from head to toe. She saw him slip a handgun into the waistband of his pants before he left. She held him up by the door for an extra five minutes layering on her affections before she let him leave. Worry was consuming her with each passing second and she knew she had to keep herself busy or it would eat her alive long before he returned— _ if he returned. _ She shook the thought from her head and dove back into the task of recovering her documents from an old email. The hours ticked by as she poured over all of the research she used for the project. Betty kept coming to a dead end a few generations back into the Cooper family lineage. On a whim, she cross referenced the Blossom family line and was met with a host anomalies around the same time. Curious, she began to research further into the Blossom family line trying to find the connection to her own.

-

Jughead and Sweet Pea had been sitting in the tree line for a few hours before they headed back. Their bikes were parked about a mile away from the property line. They walked the remainder of the way, neither wanting to raise suspicion with the deep grumble of their bikes that would surely echo in the deserted forest. They saw one delivery of a few crates, but the warehouse was mostly empty. There was one guard by the front of the facility and two Ghoulies inside. They made notes once they were back by the bikes before heading back to the Wyrm.

They discussed the upcoming days and decided to do a few more stakeouts before making any moves. They needed to be sure their route wasn’t seen this time. They also needed to know how many people were there on a regular night and how they might gain entrance to the interior of the building without anyone noticing. What Jughead really needed was access to the security room. His plan was to look through all of the tapes from the time Alice disappeared up until that day. Maybe he would see the Candy Man come and go or maybe he wouldn’t find anything.  _ You never know until you try _ , he thought.             

-

3.25.2018 - 3.30.2018

 

Jughead and Betty grew closer over the next few days. They talked about their respective pasts, letting the other into previously unshared sides of their lives. It hadn’t been a question for a while as to where Betty would be staying. She laid in bed with him each night, inevitably resulting in tangled sheets and intertwined limbs each morning when they rose.

During that time, Sweet Pea and Jughead continued to watch the warehouse every night. They always parked far away and snuck in through an unmonitored opening in the fence. No one mentioned anything about their presence, no Ghoulies came to deliver warnings to them, and no one seemed to notice their watchful gazes while they were there.

Jughead was honest with Betty each time he went to the warehouse. She was grateful for the transparency, but it didn’t dissuade the worry that consumed her each time he stepped out through the door. She continued her delve into the origins of her trust along with the Cooper and Blossom family histories to preoccupy her time when he was gone. She hadn’t found a definite connection yet outside of the assets that were transferred to Hal. What she did find interesting, though, was a lack of information on both ends a few generations back, no matter where she looked- it was as if someone just  _ disappeared _ .

-

It was Friday and Jughead knew the warehouse would likely be less populated than normal. The Ghoulies were known to let loose on the weekends and their surveillance uncovered a small window that the one guard on duty would go out to smoke a cigarette like clockwork, leaving the facility unmanned for a period of time. His trip with Betty the first time had given him a visual layout of the interior through a window and he knew there were only two rooms within the building, the rest was wide open.  He planned to take Sweet Pea as a lookout and enter the facility that night to figure out which of the two rooms held the security footage. It was a risky move, stealing the security footage files, but Jughead didn’t know any other way to get the answers he needed. He told Betty as much and she expressed her concern with the idea, ultimately trusting his intel and his decisions. 

Jughead called a meeting with the Serpents to explain his plan. The footage would serve two purposes; the first being answers for Betty—if her mother had watched the warehouse, she might be on those tapes—the second being intel for the Serpents. None of them approved of the Jingle Jangle intrusion into the southside and when he explained to the club what he was doing, he made sure to tell them he was working on cutting off their distribution and manufacturing.

Many of the Serpents had been personally affected by the influx of Jingle Jangle into their lives. Brothers, sisters, children, and other Serpent adjacent relatives and friends had overdosed on the drug in the past. Sweet Pea’s own sister wound up paying the ultimate price for her addiction. The night she was drugged, she had been at a Ghoulie party looking to score.

He asked the Serpents to watch the bar while he and Sweet Pea went to the warehouse. He knew if something went sideways, if their meticulously crafted plan didn’t turn out the way they hoped it would, he would need all the protection he could get for Betty and the club.

-

It all seemed too easy, at first. The lone guard they counted on being there took his break right on schedule and Jughead slipped in unseen. The first office he checked had the security equipment he was looking for and the plan appeared to be falling into place.

“Well, well, well snake. Malachi told us you might come sniffing around here. He knew it would happen sooner or later so I’m not surprised to see you here.” The guard was standing in the doorway with his gun drawn on Jughead. He had been gathering the boxes of tapes dated back to the beginning of the year and was nearly done when the intrusion interrupted him.

“So, tell me snake, what is it that you’re looking for?” Jughead felt the cool metal of his gun in his waistband and debated his next move. He knew only one of them would leave the warehouse alive. The guard appeared to be a bit trigger happy as he thumbed through the tapes with the barrel of his gun still trained on Jughead. “Why do you need surveillance footage snake?” He didn’t have a chance to respond before the guard continued. “Malachi said to keep an eye out for you. I believe the exact instructions were to ‘shoot first and ask questions later’.” He chuckled to himself before pushing the barrel of his gun into Jughead’s temple. The cool metal felt like a stark contrast to the soft skin on his forehead.

“Well then, it looks like you don’t follow instructions very well.” Jughead quipped, unable to refrain from the commentary, even with a loaded gun pressed to his head.

“He also said we might see a pretty blonde with you. I was hoping I’d be the one to catch you guys. Blondes are my favorite, after all. Tell me, snake, is she yours? Malachi said she was gorgeous, long legs, perky breasts. I would ask you for a picture, but I’m sure I’ll see her in person after I take care of you. In fact, I bet she’s at the Wyrm right now. I want you to die knowing that I’m going looking for her. I want to see her in the flesh, I want to know what piece of pussy was magical enough to capture the Serpent King’s attention. She must be a good lay, too.”

With the last quip, Jughead ducked from the pressure on his temple and pulled his gun before the guard could react. His eyes widened and Jughead could see him clench the hand holding the gun. They were at a standoff, both pieces pointed at the other and Jughead didn’t want to wait to see who pulled the trigger first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my beta @wherearethecloudsnow for looking over this & thank you @peyton_0727 for your invaluable input.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter!!! Leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
> 
> You can also find me on Tumblr @bugggghead (same handle)


	8. 3.30.2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to my amazing beta @wherearethecloudsnow 
> 
> This chapter has one of my favorite scenes in it, can you guess which one?

 

 

That night wasn’t the first time Jughead had killed someone. His title ensured that he was the enforcer of the club, but it wasn’t something he enjoyed. Pulling the trigger to end someone’s life was a heavy burden to bear; each time he was involved in a death, it took a toll on his psyche. He was raised in the club to become callous toward death. The rival gangs had been at war with each other for years, long before Jughead took the lead. Ghoulies and Serpents had exchanged rounds more than a few times and casualties were always present. His dad called it a consequence of forming the wrong alliances, but Jughead never made that call on his own, not until that night with the guard.

The threat from Malachi was still ringing in his ears when he pulled the trigger. The fact that Malachi had the Ghoulies watching for himself  _ and  _ Betty made his decision pretty clear. He needed to get out of the warehouse before anyone within earshot came to investigate the sound and he needed to be alive to do that.

Jughead gathered up all of the tapes, including the one that was actively recording, he unplugged all of the camera equipment and bashed his gun onto the control panel. He knew Malachi would come looking for him once this was discovered, the clock started ticking and he met Sweet Pea outside before they made their escape.

No one chased them from the property and once they were back in the truck, they beelined it to the Wyrm. They took the truck earlier hoping to return with something more than the bikes could handle and Jughead was pleased with his foresight as he assessed the boxes. It was nearly midnight and the ticking clock in his head grew louder with each second that passed.

3.31.2018

Jughead asked Sweet Pea to gather the Serpents and go over what happened as soon as they returned. He recounted the events inside the warehouse during the ride back and immediately went upstairs with the boxes to find a nervous Betty sitting at her laptop, chewing on a pen cap, and tapping her foot. His entrance got her attention and she was beside him in an instant, unloading the boxes from his arms and trapping him in hers.

“Thank god you’re okay.” She breathed into his shoulder, tightening her arms around his neck and sinking her fingers into his hair in an attempt to pull him closer than humanly possible.

“I’m okay.” He reassured her softly, stroking her hair before pressing his lips to her temple.

“Come, sit down. Tell me what happened.” Betty dragged him to the couch and angled her body sideways, prepared to listen to his recount of the night’s events.

“Uh,” Jughead started, he knew he had to be honest with her, but a part of him was afraid of her reaction to the news of him ending another man’s life. Betty was self admittedly sheltered and he knew she didn’t sign up for the gang life when she wandered into his bar. “Well, we got the tapes.” He paused again, shifting his body to mirror her own and threaded their fingers together before continuing. “There was a guard, Betty, and he—he said he knew we might be coming. Not we as in Sweet Pea and I, but we as in you and me.” Betty nodded, urging him to continue. “He threatened you directly, said something about coming to find you when he was finished with me. He was going to kill me Betty. He–”

Betty squeezed Jughead’s hand, silently reassuring him that whatever he was about to say, she wanted to hear it. He closed his mouth and clenched his jaw. He didn’t say another word for a few moments as the tension settled heavily around them. She knew he wanted to say more, but he couldn’t seem to find the words.  _ What happened? _

Ultimately, Betty broke the silence, unsure if he was planning to continue or adrift in a sea of his own thoughts. “Whatever happened, Jug… I’m here, safe, and you’re here, safe. So, whatever you  _ did _ , I know you did it for us. And—and if it means in the end you made it back with the evidence, then whatever it was—I’m sure you did what you felt like you had to.” 

Jughead looked down at their intertwined fingers, he still couldn’t look her in the eye, even as he processed what Betty was saying. Betty gave Jughead’s hand another gentle squeeze, trying to coax him out of his silent reverie. 

“I trust your judgement Jughead.” Betty said, trying again to reassure him. 

Jughead looked up at her staring in disbelief. “Betty, that’s the problem… you shouldn’t. Don’t trust my judgement because I mess up all the time. That’s what I do, I fuck things up. Remember when I told you I was broken?” She nodded in response. “Well, I’m way more fucked up than you think. Betty I’ve—I’ve killed people. I killed—” His words were cut of from the panic that was starting to rise in his chest, the panic from the thought of losing her. He took a deep breath in an attempt to calm down and thought carefully about the wording of his next sentence. He dropped his eyes to their hands again. “I killed the guard tonight. I knew when he started talking about you that he was digging his own grave. He was going to kill me and I—I wasn’t ready to die. So, I—I shot him and we ran out of the warehouse. It was him or me, Betts.” Jughead’s gaze was fixated on their hands, the fierce grip only tightening as he admitted how the night went. He was afraid to look into her eyes, afraid of what he might see there—fear, horror, disappointment—he didn’t know how she was processing his confession.

Betty disentangled their hands at the height of his internal struggle and he felt his heart drop.  _ Of course, she’s done with you. You just told her you killed someone, she knows better than to get involved with— _ His doubts subsided when she cupped his cheeks in her hands and connected their lips. She pressed gently at first before he returned the kiss with an urgency. He wasn’t sure he was going to make it back to her earlier and feeling her lips against his own ignited something within him.  _ She accepted him. She still wanted him. _

When they were both breathless, they separated and Jughead leaned his forehead against hers. He was drunk on all aspects of Betty Cooper, her presence alone intoxicating; without account for the feeling of her in his arms, under his fingers, and against his lips. Jughead was lost in her and he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to be found again. The reality of everything going on outside the confines of the apartment was still lingering in the back of his mind, but when her lips touched his again, he couldn’t bring himself to care. They made out languidly, appreciating each other’s presence after such an adrenaline-fueled night. They didn’t make it past the couch, despite the warmth spreading deep inside of him with every swipe of her tongue. He knew the Serpents were downstairs, he knew the Ghoulies would come soon, he knew they weren’t completely safe yet. With the thought of danger swirling in his mind, they separated, breathless once more.

“Jughead, I don’t want to judge you for what you felt like you had to do. I not going to lie and tell you that I’m not freaked out. But this whole situation surrounding my mom’s disappearance and now my strange family ties and my confusing trust. I mean it’s a lot to deal with and adding killing a Ghoulie guard to that list doesn’t help… but I’m still here. We’re both safe and I’m still here with you right now, right?” She tilted her head to the side, waiting for his response. He nodded slightly, waiting for whatever she had to say next. “Murder is a big deal, I mean what if you get caught? What if you go to prison? What if the Ghoulies come looking for—for revenge, or whatever they’ll call it? What if they come here and try to take you? I don’t know what I’d do if you weren’t here Jug.” Her expression softened and she leaned forward. She lightly connected their lips.

She wanted him to feel her adoration in that moment. He wanted to protect her, she knew that, with very few people on her side these days she clung to the idea that he felt the need to keep her safe in a way no one ever had. He returned her featherlight touch with a fervor. The reality that he could have died earlier and never touched her smooth, supple skin again awoken something inside of him; the thought of someone else touching her ignited a fire. His resolve from earlier slipped away in an instant and his thoughts ceased as his primal nature took over as he deepened the kiss. He needed to feel her, to grip her, to know she was real under his touch. He needed to feel connected to her, and he needed it now. He pulled her onto his lap, already thumbing the button on her shorts before lifting her shirt away. Within seconds they shed every stitch of clothing separating their bodies and found their way back together as she sunk down onto him. There was an unspoken urgency to their need, the lingering idea they might not have done this again setting a ridiculously fast pace. The notion that they were both still in danger weighed heavy in the air between their breaths as they panted. It was all tongue, teeth, and nails as they brought each other to climax, both attempting to fill the insatiable need to feel close to one another.

A sharp knock on the door broke them from their post-sex haze and they scrambled to get dressed. Sweet Pea was on the other side. He took in their disheveled state and laughed at the obvious conclusion. “The men need to see you downstairs boss—and—uh—you might want to fix the mop on your head before everyone knows how you two deal with the stress of a looming gang war.” He returned downstairs as Betty and Jughead straightened their appearances before following behind him.

The Serpents were gathered in the main area watching as Jughead and Betty descended the stairs, far more put together than the image Sweet Pea witnessed a few minutes before. “Alright, so Sweet Pea told you all what happened at the warehouse tonight. I think we all know Malachi will retaliate. I’m going to need every single one of you here, by my side, when he comes looking for me.” Jughead moved through the crowd as Betty stared on in awe. The gang was captivated by his domineering presence. She doesn’t know how she didn’t notice it as soon as she stepped foot in the bar that first night, he was  _ definitely _ their leader, and they waited anxiously for his orders. He stopped in front of the tallest member in the room and turned to face him, they were mere inches from each other when Jughead spoke.

“What is the first law of the Serpents, Tall Boy?” His voice was raised, not quite yelling, but far from the soft-spoken tones he used with her. Betty was enthralled by his commanding presence.

“A Serpent never shows cowardice!” Tall Boy responded.

“That’s right, a Serpent never shows cowardice. Which is why, when the Ghoulies come looking for me, I’ll be right here.“ They only broke eye contact when Jughead moved to another member in the crowd, resuming his position, nearly nose to nose with the next member.

“What’s the third Serpent law, Fangs?”

“No Serpent stands alone.” His response mimicked that of a military recruit, answering a drill sergeant.

“Correct again.” He maintained his gaze fixed on Fangs. “Which is why you all will be here, too.” Jughead walked through the crowd again, settling on a smaller girl. Betty had seen her behind the bar in passing. She was too short for the nose to nose intimidation tactics Jughead had been using, but when she looked up, Betty could tell she was ready for his next question.

“What’s the sixth serpent law, Toni?”

“In unity there is strength.” She nearly yelled her response as the crowd erupted in cheers. They were ready to fight for their leader, to fight with their leader, and Betty felt her thighs clench at the sight.  _ He was incredible _ , she thought.

“That’s right, Toni.” He walked back through the crowd and stood by Betty’s side.

“Which is why when they come for us, we will be ready to answer them. It might get ugly, guys. I’m not going to lie to you and tell you it’ll be easy. But we’ve done this before, and we always win. Who’s with me?”

The bar erupted in cheers again as some of the members came up to hug him. The display was clearly over and Betty was still awestruck by the way he resonated with the members of the club. After the crowd dispersed from the main area, some trickling off to the bar, some moving to the tables and corners in the room, Sweet Pea came up to clasp his hand on Jughead’s shoulder.

“Great job rallying the troops, boss. But what is your plan when they come?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. They could come with their guns blazing and we’d have to fight. They might send one person over to summon me, or they could come looking to negotiate.” Jughead lowered his voice and cocked his head toward Sweet Pea. “They still don’t know we’re looking into the Alice connection, so it’s really anyone’s guess at this point.” Sweet Pea nodded in his direction before taking a long swig of his beer.

“I sure hope this doesn’t get ugly, Jug. You need to go watch those tapes. See what you can find before shit hits the fan.”

Jughead threw an arm around Betty and turned toward the stairs. “I’ll let you know if we find something.” He called over his shoulder as they disappeared to the upper floor.

-

Jughead had two televisions in the apartment and they made quick work of utilizing them both. Their time was already limited and doubling the amount of tape they could watch at once seemed like an obvious answer. They were only a few days in when Jughead saw Alice Cooper on his screen, recognizing her from the family photos that were still smashed in the Cooper house. He paused the tape and called Betty over before resuming. They saw Alice enter the warehouse the night before her car was found in the river. There weren’t cameras inside the space, only on the entrances and they waited for her to come back through any of the doors. The tape ran out and Betty’s eyes were wide, red rimmed from the tears that had been silently falling from her eyes as the minutes ticked by on the tape.

“Maybe there’s another entrance that doesn’t have a camera on it. Maybe we need to watch the next tape. This one only ran for 8 hours, maybe they kept her in there. Maybe, Jug, maybe there’s a passage inside the building she could have escaped through. Where’s the next tape?” Betty choked on her words as they came rambling out, she started shuffling through the tapes before Jughead gently gripped her wrists and brought her attention back to him.

“Betty, these tapes show all of the cameras that are working at one time. And I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I was inside the facility—” He paused, knowing the next statement may send her into a tailspin. “I know there aren’t any other doors. This tape covered 8 hours. She went in toward the beginning and no one left. I agree we need to watch the next tape. We need to watch it together, but I’m not sure what we’re going to see and you need to prepare yourself for that.” He laced their fingers together and brought them up to his lips, placing a soft kiss on the stretched skin. She was gripping his hand roughly, trying to calm herself. He knew if he wasn’t holding them, they would surely be curled inward, undoubtedly piercing the skin.

He lowered his voice before he spoke again. “Betty, I don’t know what this next tape is going to show us—if it shows us anything at all—but you need to know she had to have left the facility at one point. One way or another she wasn’t in there when we were at the warehouse the other day or tonight when I went looking for these tapes.”

“I-I know, Jug. I just – I just need to know where she is… or, where she was. I just—” A sob wracked her body as her thought was cut off. Jughead wrapped his arms around her and cradled her head against his neck as she cried. A sense of dread filled him as he eyed the next tape in line to be viewed. Maybe it would be empty, no sighting of her for a few days, or maybe it would show her exit, whether that meant on her feet or in a bag, he couldn’t be sure.

It was almost as if everything was moving in slow motion as he put the next tape in the receiver and started it. They saw the usual guards rounding the building as the sun came up and watched through to the end, no sign of anyone other than the members entering or exiting the property. Neither spoke a word as the third tape went in and Jughead pressed play. The sun began to set on the screen and in the dark, they saw a flash through one of the windows. There was no sound on the surveillance video, but they both stiffened at the sight of an obvious muzzle flash from inside the facility. Shortly after, they saw a large bag being taken from the facility and tossed roughly in the back of a truck.

Betty’s hands came up to cup her mouth and he heard a loud gasp escape her. “Ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod, ohmygod.” She was spiraling quickly and he hauled her up into his lap. She gripped onto his shirt for dear life and crumbled beneath his touch. She sobbed heavily into his chest as he stroked her back, waiting for them to subside.

They now knew, with relative certainty, that Betty’s mother hadn’t made it out of the warehouse alive. They didn’t know who was responsible for making the call to end her life. He hadn’t seen Malachi on the premise that day and no one suspicious appeared to be around either. There were a few people he didn’t recognize that came and went within that time frame, but he wasn’t sure who they were or what that meant.  _ Maybe they called the boss. Maybe it was a direct order. _

They didn’t have long to collect themselves when the sounds of dozens of bikes approaching the bar shook them from their thoughts. Betty and Jughead scrambled to their feet and flew out the door, descending the stairs in a flash.

“They’re here, Boss.” Sweet Pea was stationed at the bottom of the stairs, expecting their arrival. “I sure hope you found something on those tapes. I hope this was all worth it.”

Jughead looked down at Betty, tucked beneath his arm and nodded. “It was worth it.”

“Betty, I need you to go hide behind the bar with Cheryl and Toni. Toni’s strapped, she’ll keep you both safe. I—I just need to you to know you’re safe.” He raised his voice and addressed the room next. “The Ghoulies are here, guys. It’s time we stand our ground. No one goes upstairs. No one goes toward the back door. Block every entrance except the front and let’s greet them together.”

Serpents broke off in every direction to follow his orders, they locked the doors and gathered back together before a loud knock bellowed from the front door.

“Come in!” Jughead sang, cocking his gun and signaling for the other Serpents to raise their weapons. He made his way to the front of the building at the same time Malachi pulled the doors open. It appeared most, if not all of the Ghoulies came through the door behind him.

Betty was ducking under the bar alongside Toni and Cheryl. Toni was tasked with protecting them; her pistol was drawn, loaded, and ready to fire, if need be. Betty was terrified, she couldn’t see Jughead or hear much of what was going on. She knew the Ghoulies had entered the bar from the sound of the stampede of boots hitting the wooden floor. She waited with bated breath for whoever spoke first.

“What brings you here sweetheart?” Jughead chided.

Malachi approached him leisurely. Their guns were still drawn, everyone in the room completely still except for their respective leaders who were closing the distance between them.

“Well you see, snake, one of my guys turned up dead at that warehouse I told you not to go back to. Not only that, but somehow my surveillance equipment was smashed to pieces and the recorded footage appears to be missing. Now tell me snake,” Malachi paused, stopping when their guns were side by side pointing in opposite directions. He gripped his gun a little bit tighter and spoke again. “Who, beside you and that girlfriend of yours knew about the warehouse?”

Jughead laughed, he already knew from the tapes they hadn’t seen him and Sweet Pea entering or exiting the property. He had the upper hand at the moment and wanted to maintain it. “I acted alone, Malachi.”

“You see snake, I can tell when you’re lying to me and right now, you’re hiding something. Who was with you at the facility earlier?”

Jughead didn’t answer, opting instead to stand his ground and shake his head. Malachi was getting angrier with each passing second. “I would kill you right now if I could, scum.” His words were venomous as the Serpents prepared for a fight. “But the boss wants me to bring you and that girlfriend of yours to him. Now you’re going to come with me one way or another. They only question I have left is how difficult are you planning on making this for me.”

Jughead chuckled as he stared down the barrel of his gun at Malachi’s seething face. “No. Fucking. Way. Scum.” He mimicked the earlier words and lunged forward, pushing Malachi to the ground before pinning him down. Chaos erupted in the bar as the Serpents charged forward into the group of Ghoulies. Punches were being thrown left and right as the noise of bones crunching and skulls cracking echoed in the wood lined bar. Malachi connected his fist with Jughead’s face and everything went black.

He off took toward the bar before Jughead opened his eyes. When he came to, he saw Malachi with a gun aimed at Toni, pulling Betty up roughly by her elbow. The other Serpents were preoccupied by the all-out brawl, but Jughead’s gaze was zoned in on the scene unfolding in front of him. Betty was being pulled out the front door before he could catch up to them.

He pushed through his men and exited the building, quick on Malachi’s heels. He caught up to them right outside the bar as he heard shots ring out in the bar behind him. Jughead looked back and weighed his next move. Did he turn around and fight with his men or did he pursue Malachi and save Betty? He opted for the latter, reasoning the men inside were well armed and capable of taking care of themselves. Betty was unarmed and in imminent danger. The gravity of the split decision weighed heavy on him as he pointed the barrel of his gun at Malachi.

“Don’t you dare fucking touch her!” He bellowed.

Malachi spun around and began laughing again. “Have I ever told you before how much I  _ love _ blondes, snake? I mean look at her.” Malachi trailed a single finger down the line of her jaw as Jughead saw a tear slip from her eyes. The terror in her expression caused something inside of him to snap as he surged forward and connected his fist to Malachi’s jaw. He pulled Betty into his arms and retrained the gun on Malachi, who was busy rubbing his jaw, laughing again.

“I wouldn’t have hurt her. I just wanted to have some fun before she met the boss.”

Without warning, both Jughead and Betty were seized by two Ghoulies. Their arms were pulled behind their backs as they were both dropped to the ground. Jughead felt a knee press into his back as his face rubbed against the grit on the ground.

“You played right into my hand snake, so predictable.” Malachi tutted his tongue as he leaned down to position his face between them. “I know every snake has a soft underbelly, I figured she was yours by your little outburst the other day. Looks like I was right. I knew if I got her outside, you would follow. All I needed to do was isolate you both.”

Jughead felt something strike the back of his skull. Just before he faded into darkness, he saw Betty’s panicked expression. A ‘no’ formed perfectly on her lips, but no sound registered as he slipped into unconsciousness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OH SHIT GUYS!!!!
> 
> This chapter has one of my favorite scenes in it, can you guess which one? I'm curious to see if you liked it as much as I did!
> 
>  
> 
> Just FYI, I am going to post Chapters 9 & 10 at the same time because 10 is more of an epilogue than a real chapter.
> 
> If you enjoy the story, please leave me a comment & let me know. <3 <3 <3  
> Thank you all for reading!


	9. 3.31.2018

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to my amazing beta @wherearethecloudsnow for all of your help! Thank you @peyton_0727 for being all around wonderful and supremely helpful. Hope you all enjoy!

Jughead suspected they had been out for at least a few hours when he finally came-to. There were no windows in the dark room, no way of knowing how much time had passed, or even where they were.  He felt rope wound tightly around his hands and legs. They were strapped to chairs, alone in a dark room, and Betty was still unconscious. Running purely on adrenaline Jughead twisted his wrists painfully as he tried to loosen the binds. He didn’t know how long he had before someone showed up, but he wanted the make the most of every second. The skin on his wrists began to feel raw as he twisted the rope, slowly working it loose. He had seen videos and heard stories of guys breaking their thumbs to escape handcuffs. He looked over at Betty’s limp body again and knew if it came down to it—he’d pay the price of a broken finger over letting anyone touch her again.

He rolled his wrists over and over again, loosening the knots the slightest bit. He couldn’t squeeze his hands out yet, but after a bit longer it might be possible. He heard footsteps approaching the door and stilled.  _ Should he pretend to still be out?  _ He didn’t have time to decide as the door swung open and Malachi waltzed in, followed by an older gentleman. Jughead recognized him from Betty’s research.  _ Clifford Blossom _ .

“Good morning, Jug-Head Jones.” Clifford spoke first, moving over to Betty. He leaned down in front of her and Jughead watched as his hand cracked across her cheek, jolting her awake. He twisted his wrists furiously at the sight before Clifford looked back at him again for a split second.

“Betty Cooper. So nice of you to join us for this chat, dear. I bet you don’t know why you’re here do you?”

Betty shook her head and Clifford continued, speaking directly to her. “See you and your family have this problem Betty, you want more answers than you need. You’re all greedy in your own way. Your mom was greedy for information regarding my Jingle Jangle. You see, that’s my bread and butter, I couldn’t have her sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. She tried to mess with my livelihood.” Clifford paused and moved closer to her, kneeling down to meet her gaze at eye level. “Your dad was greedy with the family business. Nana always loved Hal best. He was her favorite grandson, so when she died, he got the controlling share of Blossom Industries. He didn’t deserve it, Betty. Hal couldn’t stomach the way the business was going, he had no backbone. He couldn’t handle our Jingle Jangle becoming the primary revenue for the business… so, I  _ had _ to kill him. Once I had him out of the way, I sold off his shares in each of the businesses right before a boom. I got full control at a fraction of what it would cost today. The profit was worth for more than his life—at least to me, it was. I did you a favor little girl, and you didn’t even know it. The Blossoms take care of their own, Betty. I made sure you would be well taken care of.”

“You—you killed my dad?” Betty squeaked, tears forming in her eyes. The rest of his confession had yet to process as she reeled from the reality that the person standing in front of her was responsible for the death of her father so many years ago.

“Yeah. Yeah, I did. Your mom couldn’t leave well enough alone either. She chased these stories about my Jingle Jangle and nearly had the case cracked. So, I killed your mom, too Betty. I had one of my men send her empty car off the bridge so it would appear she crashed. No one was looking for her, I made sure of that, no one but you and your lowlife boyfriend. I went looking for her notes. Did you see my display? I left it so you’d know someone was watching. “

Betty nodded, willing the dammed-up tears not to fall. It all made sense, Clifford worshipped his money and business above all else—even his own family. It was as if time stopped for a minute. All of the tiny bits of information they gathered over the last few weeks began to shift into a more complete picture, as if the pieces simply fell into place.  _ Hal was his family, Alice was his family, Bety was his family. _

“Wait- Did you just say I’m one of your own?” Betty’s words came out laced with a mix of disbelief and horror as the truth sunk in.

“Yes, Betty. Great Grand Pappy Cooper was originally a Blossom. He was excommunicated and stripped of the name when he attempted to murder his twin brother. Which brings us to you now  _ Betty.  _ You’re going to join them. Just like your mom, you couldn’t leave well enough alone. I gave you independence, you were set up financially and you were finally on your own, and what did you do? You got greedy.” The sickeningly sweet tone of Clifford voice accompanied by the deadly threat snapped something inside of Jughead and he tugged at his ropes, breaking his own thumb and the binding in the process.

Jughead was up and over to Malachi before either of them realized he was free, the element of surprise combined with his quick actions worked in his favor. He grabbed the gun Malachi had holstered on his side and whipped his body around positioning Malachi in front of himself, his body acting as a shield. He held Malachi’s own gun roughly to his temple as Clifford stood and brought his hands together in a slow clap—the echo of each clap radiated off the bare walls of the room.

“Good job, Jug-Head. You got Malachi.” He let out a deep laugh that sent shivers up Jughead’s spine. “What you failed to realize, is that Malachi is disposable to me. If you kill him, I can still make my Jingle Jangle. I’ve still got the Candy Man. In fact, I can use  _ your  _ Serpents to distribute it. So, kill him, take over his position, what do you say? I always liked business partners with initiative.”

Jughead was shaking with fury as he buried the muzzle of the pistol further into Malachi’s temple.

“The Serpents would  _ never _ do business with you Clifford.” Jughead spat.

He tightened his grip around Malachi’s throat and debated on his next move.

“You see, snake, I’m not sure you have an option. I don’t care if you hurt Malachi. You, on the other hand, would be pretty upset if I hurt our dear Betty here, wouldn’t you?” Clifford brought his hand up to cup Betty’s face and Jughead saw red.

He loosened his grip around Malachi’s neck, pushing him away before he pulled the trigger and Malachi’s lifeless form fell to the ground. Jughead aimed the gun at Clifford as he moved behind Betty’s chair, using her form to shield him from Jughead’s line of sight. Clifford tugged the bindings off of Betty’s legs from behind the chair and pulled her up roughly by her hands which were still trapped in the ropes.

As she stood, Clifford rose behind her. She was blocking any clear shot he had at Clifford and Jughead slowly lowered the gun, placing it on the ground before rising up again with his hands in the air.

“Don’t lay a finger on her. I won’t shoot you if you let her go. Keep me here, but let Betty go.” Jughead kicked the gun to the middle of the room and caught Betty’s gaze. Her eyes were wide, filled with terror.

“I can’t do that Jug-Head.” He chided, moving around Betty to fetch the gun on the warehouse floor. While Clifford was distracted, Jughead caught Betty’s eye and signaled toward the gun. She wasn’t sure what he wanted her to do. He motioned more urgently, with his expressions, for her to push it toward him. She realized what he was looking for as Clifford came around her. 

Betty kicked her foot forward, sending the gun back in Jughead’s direction. It didn’t make it all the way back to him before Clifford straightened up and pulled her between them once more. 

“I wanted you both to play nice, but I guess hospitality has gone out the window now.” Clifford pushed her forward as he inched closer to the gun. Tears were streaming down Betty’s face when he reached down to pick it up. The flood of tears increased when he brought the gun to her temple.

“Betty, Betty, Betty… you are part Blossom, my dear. Our kind don’t mingle with the low lives. They’re here to do our bidding sweetheart, not taint our bloodline. I had high hopes for you when you were little. Your spineless excuse of a father was gone, I thought your mother would raise you to be worthy of the Blossom name. She always was the backbone in that marriage.” He turned the gun sideways and stroked her tear stained cheeks with the barrel.

“Betty, I want you to see something darling.” Clifford angled her head toward the floor and pointed the gun at a prominent stain. “You see that mark on the ground?” Betty nodded shakily, afraid of what it could be. “That’s what’s left of your mother. That’s where I watched her bleed out from a bullet to the head. How fitting you’ll die in the same room as her. Kind of poetic if you think about it, right?” His twisted rationale and earlier confessions tipped her over the edge as she twisted free from his grip. Her arms were still tied, but her legs were free. She brought a foot up to kick the gun that was still pointing at the stain on the ground, silently thanking her mom for making her do cheerleading. Her flexibility paid off as the gun fell from his grip.

It clattered to the ground as Clifford gripped her throat. Jughead scrambled to recover the gun as he saw Clifford’s fingers sink deeply into her neck. The pressure from his grip left white marks around her neck, pin points cut off from the blood flow. Jughead raised the gun to the back of Clifford’s head before bringing it down, a loud crack breaking through the silence as his body fell to the ground.

Jughead swept Betty up in his arms in an instant, gripping onto her for dear life.  _ She was okay. She was alive.  _ His elation was short lived as Clifford began to stir beneath them.

“Untie me, quick.” Betty commanded, the tears dried on her cheeks.

Jughead did as she asked before they moved further away from Clifford. Once her hands were free, Betty grabbed the gun from Jughead’s hands. 

“Betty! What are you doing? Don’t do this.” He pleaded. He knew the haunting pain of taking another life. He didn’t want that for Betty. She didn’t deserve to be kept up at night by the picture of her mother and father’s murderer bleeding out on the ground. “I can’t let you do this.” He said once more, attempting to take the gun from her hands. 

He knew Clifford wasn’t getting out of this alive. He wanted to be the one to serve up the revenge Betty had been craving for so long. He wanted to be her knight in shining armor, to close this chapter of her life, wrap it up with a nice bow, and know they could put this behind them. He wanted to be the one to give her justice.

Betty surprised him then, pulling the gun back into her grasp. She pointed it toward Clifford; who was still writhing on the pavement, grasping the back of his head. “I  _ need  _ to do this, Jug. He killed my mom.” She inched closer to him. “He killed my dad.” She kneeled down a few feet from him, gun still trained on his head. “I want to look him in the eye as I take his life the same way he took my parents.”

Clifford looked up and Betty pulled the trigger. 

She stood there, hands shaking as the smoke from the barrel rose up. She didn’t move a muscle until the blood began pooling under his head, a thick red puddle forming as she lowered the gun. Jughead stood next to her, reaching for the pistol and gingerly taking it from her hands. He tucked it into the back of his jeans before wrapping her into his arms. She melted into his embrace, her gaze still fixed on the lifeless form on the ground.

“I killed him, Jug. I—I did that.” She squeaked. Jughead ran his fingers through her hair as he whispered affirmations to her.

“It’s alright.” He told her. “It was him or you, don’t feel bad. He deserved it Betty.”

“I don’t feel bad.” She whispered, part of her afraid of her own confession. “I feel free, Jug. Really, truly free for the first time in my life.”

The sound of footsteps coming down the hall broke them from their thoughts. They needed to go. They didn’t know where they were or how many other people were around, but they needed to get out of there and they needed to do it quick.

They opened the door and came face to face with a Ghoulie, clearly catching him off guard as Jughead smashed the butt of the gun against his skull. They scrambled over his unconscious form and fled. Jughead recognized the location, they were at the warehouse, in the second office room that he hadn’t previously looked in. He pulled her out the typically unmanned exit and they ran away from the building. They fled through the woods, not stopping until they reached the clearing where he and Sweet Pea parked the truck during their stake outs.

He knew his way back from there, even without a vehicle and they walked quickly down the long road. About half a mile up, they saw headlights and ducked into the woods. They were both covered in blood and Jughead wasn’t sure how quickly word would spread to the Ghoulies about their leader’s death. As the headlights drew closer, Jughead thought he recognized them. His truck went careening past them as he ran out of the woods to flag down whoever was in the driver’s seat.

Sweet Pea slammed on the brakes when he heard Jughead’s voice ring out over the sound of the noisy engine. He whipped the truck around and came to a forceful stop next to them. Sweet Pea threw the transmission into park and jumped out of the car to embrace his best friend. 

“Thank god you’re alive, man.” They patted each other on the back as they separated before Sweet Pea saw Betty’s shaky figure behind Jughead. “I’m glad you’re okay, too, blondie.” He added.

They were both clearly shaken and Sweet Pea ushered them into the truck. He sped recklessly back to the Wyrm, telling them both about the fight earlier. The Ghoulies had retreated, gathering up their wounded and high tailing it out of the Wyrm as soon as Malachi disappeared. Jughead explained it was all a rouse to capture himself and Betty. They brought each other up to speed on the nights events, barely done recapping when the Wyrm came into view.

As they entered the bar, Jughead saw the aftermath with his own eyes. There were bullet holes in the wood paneling, a few broken bottles behind the bar, and more men than he could count wrapping bandages around their wounds. Everyone stopped what they were doing when Jughead walked through the door and they clapped.

Jughead stood rooted to his spot, just inside the door, as the images of his men hurt sunk in. “It’s over guys. Malachi, the head of the Jingle Jangle trade—they’re all dead.” He didn’t want to explain any further, too exhausted from the early morning’s events. The sun was beginning to rise and despite the crazy events beforehand, Jughead felt at peace. Betty was under his arm, clinging tightly to his body, the Serpents were mostly intact—no casualties on their side to speak of—and all he wanted to do was lay in bed with Betty.

“I’m done for the night guys, we’ll reconvene later. There are plenty of cots for whoever needs to crash here. If you don’t stay here, make sure to travel in pairs. Protect each other until this all blows over. Understood?” He addressed everyone in the room as they collectively nodded their heads. A few members piped up with ‘yes, sir’ or ‘understood’. Satisfied with their response, Jughead pulled Betty up the stairs and swiftly shut and locked his door behind them.

Betty froze inside the doorway of Jughead’s apartment, letting the events of the night wash over her, unsure of what she should be feeling.

“My parents are dead, Jug.” She stated, no emotion accompanying the sentiment. “I mean, I knew my dad was dead—but my mom, she’s really—she’s really gone, Jug.” She raised her head to look into his eyes and the tears she had been holding back far too long spilled down her cheeks.

Jughead wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly against his body. He walked them to his bedroom and they laid down, still embracing as she let out all of her frustrations.

He didn’t know how long they laid there. Eventually her cries subsided and he pulled the curtains, hiding the sun that was high in the sky by the time her breathing evened out.

“I understand what you meant now. When you said it was him or you. I felt that way with Clifford. I couldn’t stand the thought of him hurting one more person. I knew I wanted to kill him.” She twisted in his arms to stare directly in his eyes. “Does that mean I’m broken too, Jug?”

Her question made his heart clench uncomfortably in his chest as pressed his lips to her forehead. The moment felt strangely intimate considering the topic of conversation.

“You’re not broken, baby.” He reassured, hoping to comfort her. “You did what you had to do. You avenged your parents. You were  _ strong _ , stronger than I’ve ever seen you. You want to know something, Betts?”

“What is it, Jug?” She was still sniffling, gathering her wits and processing the night’s events.

“I’m proud of you.” He whispered into her hair before placing a soft kiss against her temple. Images flashed through his mind of the gun’s muzzle pressed against the very place his lips gently caressed.

“Jughead, I think—” Betty paused, shifting to bring her hand up to the side of his face, stroking his cheek with the pad of her thumb. “I think I love you.” She whispered. The words that escaped her mouth hit him with a physical force and his expression transformed to one of pure adoration before he leaned forward to capture her lips. They were once again caught in a heated embrace as Jughead pulled away to speak.

“I love you, too, Betty.” He didn’t feel the words carried enough weight to express his feelings in that instant. “I’ve never said that to another person—ever. My parents didn’t throw out declarations of love and I don’t think I’ve ever truly known what that meant before I met you.” He confided. He saw a tear slip down her cheek again and worried he may have crossed a line. His fears extinguished when she brought her lips up to his. She breathed a ‘thank you’ before capturing his mouth with her own.

They didn’t know what would come next, but they knew the worst part was over—for now. They relished in the feel of safety that encompassed them laying in his bed. They were both exhausted and slipped into sleep before long. The last words exchanged between the two being declarations of love, loyalty, and whispers of forever.

  



	10. Epilogue

Betty and Jughead awoke to a loud banging on the apartment door. Betty’s eyes grew wide with the evident urgency and Jughead scrambled to get up and answer it, signaling for her to stay in the bedroom, even as she pulled on clothes.

Cheryl pushed past him into the apartment as soon as the door was open. Jughead was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes when she turned to face him. “Where’s Betty?” She asked, catching Jughead off guard.

“Uh—she’s laying down. It was a late night for all of us. What time is it?”

“Just past six. Can you get her in here please?”

Jughead rubbed his neck and asked her to repeat herself, still in disbelief at the use of manners he wasn’t sure she even knew.

“Jughead, get Rapunzel. I need to talk to you both.”

Betty came down the hall and joined Jughead at his side. He slipped his arm around her waist and tugged her closer, still reeling from the images burned into his brain the night before. He wanted to hold her as close as possible, for as long as possible, the reality that she could have died last night still weighed heavily on his mind.

“Thank you both.” Cheryl stated cryptically. “My brother called. He said they found my dad at some warehouse.” Jughead felt Betty’s body flood with tension and slowly rubbed her back, waiting for the punchline that was surely coming. “I never told you, Jughead, and you don’t know this Betty, but my father threatened my brother. That’s why he took over the family business. Jay-Jay was scared of him. He told me once, shortly before I left and he took his place in the hierarchy of Blossom Industries, that my dad held a gun to his head. My dad gave him two choices, live the Blossom life as heir to the throne, or don’t live at all.” Tears welled in her eyes at the confession. “Jay-Jay was the golden child, even when we were born. Dad always wanted a son to carry on the name and I was chopped liver. That’s why I always tried so hard. I tried my entire life to show my mom and dad that I was capable of handling the business, that I was truly a Blossom, but they never recognized it. When I heard they threatened Jay-Jay, I knew I had to leave. If daddy was willing to kill his own son, I knew he wouldn’t hesitate to kill me, too. I was constantly afraid of stepping out of line. I was afraid of my own parents, afraid for my safety in my own house.” Cheryl choked on the last words and Betty moved away from Jughead to wrap her in a hug.

Jughead wasn’t sure what to do, in that moment, opting to simply observe as Betty tried to pacify Cheryl. When her tears subsided, she spoke again. “I know you guys left last night, I don’t need to know the details, but I just want you to know that I appreciate what you did. He may have been my father, but he was never really a dad.” She took a deep breath and collected herself. Betty and Jughead remained silent, it didn’t appear Cheryl was done speaking.  “Jay-Jay called me this morning, he told me I could come home to Thornhill. He wants my help with the family business. He wants me to be his right hand. None of this ever would have been possible without both of you, so again—thank you.”

Jughead and Betty were stunned by the admission, they hadn’t expected her to thank them for ending her father’s life. He was more terrible than they knew.  _ What kind of person threatens to kill their own child? _ They shouldn’t have been surprised, in hindsight, he had killed another family member for the business,  _ why would his son be any different? _

“Uh—you’re welcome?” Jughead broke the silence.

“Okay, that’s enough of that now. I don’t need you getting all sappy on me Jones, I just wanted to let you know that what happened—I appreciate it—more than you know.” With one final swipe of her hand the tears that lined Cheryl’s cheeks were gone. She moved toward the door and turned around after opening it, standing in the doorway. “By the way, if you  _ ever _ tell anyone I came up here and cried, they’ll be hell to pay Jones.” She whipped around and shut the door behind her as Jughead let out a laugh.

“Well, she never was one to show emotion, always called it a ‘weakness’.” Betty giggled at the thought of Cheryl, who was so clearly broken, building walls so high her feelings were dammed behind it.

Jughead turned to Betty, a seriousness washed over his face. “Are  _ you _ okay? I mean obviously you’re here, and we’re safe for right now, but seriously Betts, are you okay?”

She wrapped her arms around his waist and pressed her face into his chest. “Not yet, but I will be. As long as you’re here with me, I’ll be okay.”

He knew her world had been turned upside down in a matter of weeks. The last twenty-four hours gave her answers to the questions she had been chasing for a long time. The answers weren’t exactly what she wanted, but they would deal with things as they came. The last few weeks served to bond them together. He cared deeply for her in a way he had never felt before. As her hands rubbed his back and her arms held him firmly against her frame, he thought there wasn’t a single place in the world he’d rather be than right there, in the tiny apartment above the Wyrm, flooded with love, in her arms.

5.9.2018

 

The Candy Man faded into a distant memory. Jingle Jangle trickled off the streets as the last of the supply was consumed. Without Clifford Blossom to steer the business, it was assumed they moved on. The Ghoulies fell apart shortly after Malachi’s untimely death. Without their primary source of income or a leader, the gang was left in chaos. The fight between the members who wanted to take over the club resulted in it disbanding all together. The members went their separate ways and a sense of peace settled over the Southside for the first time in decades. Jingle Jangle was off the streets, the looming threat of a Ghoulie attack was off the table, and Betty and Jughead enjoyed the relative normalcy they settled into as a couple. 

A few months had passed since the incident at the warehouse. Betty was still sleeping at the apartment every night. They were stronger than ever and Betty’s latest crusade had been trying to convince Jughead she needed to join the Serpents. She argued they were a huge part of his life and if she wanted to be as involved as possible, they needed to be a part of hers as well. He didn’t think she needed to join just to be involved, all of the members already loved having her around and she fit in as if she belonged there. S _ he did belong there, at his side, as long as she would have him,  _ he thought.

They were on their way to the Riverdale Cemetery for their weekly visit. They never recovered Alice’s body, but Betty obtained a death certificate when they officially closed the case at her request. The Greendale police had been convinced from the start no foul play was involved, only keeping the case active at Betty’s behest. When she went to them a few weeks after Clifford’s death asking them to close the case, they happily complied. She told them she needed closure, her funds were running low and the estate needed to be settled.

Polly came into town for the memorial. The sisters sold Alice’s house and split the profits along with the estate. Everything was divided 50/50 among the Cooper sisters and Betty was still set to inherit her trust when she turned 25. They were living a leisurely lifestyle, funded by Betty, and trying to enjoy their time together. After their run in with Clifford Blossom, Betty and Jughead found a new lease on life. Being on the brink of death woke a need to live within them both. They treated every day as if it was their last and traveled as frequently as possible while juggling Serpent duties.

They had just returned from a trip to Paris for their weekly graveside visit. No matter where they went, or what they did, they always made sure every Friday they paid Alice a visit. Betty had a nice headstone placed over an empty grave. She bought the plot next to her father’s and hadn’t missed a single visit since the memorial.

They brought lilies that Friday; Betty knew they were always Alice’s favorite. Like clockwork she exchanged the wilted bouquet from the week prior and replaced them with the fresh flowers. She sat there, talking to her mom and dad for about half an hour as Jughead observed. She recounted the trip to them, saying she wished they could have seen how gorgeous the Eiffel Tower was. Her fingers idly traced their names etched in the stones as she rambled on about mundane things. She always felt better leaving the gravesite, as connected to her parents as physically possible.

-

7.28.2018

 

It was Saturday night at the Wyrm, Betty’s first official night as a Serpent. Jughead finally relented to her endless protests and let her join, on one condition. He wouldn’t let her do the Serpent dance in front of the other members; he opted for a private show, instead.

_ He cleared out the bar as soon as the clock struck two am. He had plans and no one needed to be around to witness it. As he locked the front door, music flooded through the speakers and he was entranced by the vision up on the stage. Betty was wearing a blue button up blouse with a soft pink skirt adorned with buttons down the front. She moved fluidly toward the pole on stage before wrapping one hand around it and dipping her head back. A growl erupted in Jughead’s chest as he watched her dance around the pole, slowly unbuttoning each piece of clothing. She shed the layers to reveal a lacy black bustier with matching underwear. Everything in him wanted to rush the stage and wrap his arms around her, carry her up to their shared apartment and ravish her, but the image of her dancing around the pole for his eyes only had him rooted to his spot. _

Her serpent dance passed his test and they ended up defiling multiple surfaces downstairs before ending the night in their bedroom. He showed her his appreciation over and over again until the sun came up.

Jughead’s memories of the night before clouded his vision as she descended the stairs clad in her new Serpent jacket. She placed her tattoo, a double headed snake—complete with his signature crowns—just above the top of her hip bone. He knew every time he saw it, he wouldn’t be able to refrain from his primal instincts. Knowing his mark was stamped on her body forever made him feel possessive. She was his. He was hers. It was that simple. It would always be that simple.

The other Serpents gathered around as Toni poured shots for them all. They toasted to Betty’s new status and cheers erupted from the crowd. A sense of pride bloomed in his chest at the vision of perfection that stood before him. Lost in his own reverie, Jughead didn’t notice someone enter the bar. It wasn’t until he heard Sweet Pea trying to convince the stranger to leave that he turned around.

Betty saw her the same time Jughead did and he couldn’t catch her arm in time to hold her back. Veronica Lodge stood before them, perfectly put together as always, with her straight black dress and matching heels, a single string of pearls adorned her neck.

“What do you think you’re doing here?” Betty’s voice was dripping with agitation as Jughead came up behind her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, holding her to his side.

Veronica raised her hands in defense. “I’m not trying to cause trouble, honestly Betty, I’m really not. I came here to apologize. I haven’t seen you in months and I miss you.”

“You don’t deserve to miss me, not after your little show last time, Veronica.” Betty hissed, just like the snake she now was and Jughead grinned at her tenacity.

“Listen, can we talk… please?”

“Anything you want to say to me, Veronica, you can say in front of them. They’re my family now.”

“Okay, well can we at least sit down? This might be long.” Veronica’s cowardly demeanor was foreign to him. The only time he heard or saw her previously she was wound tight, throwing insults and condescending statements liberally in every direction.

Jughead, Betty, and Veronica settled into a secluded booth in the back before they began. Veronica told them she recently came out of rehab. She was working the twelve-step program and it was time for her to ask for forgiveness. According to Veronica, Archie got her involved with Jingle Jangle. She quickly fell down the rabbit hole of addiction, taking anything and everything she could get her hands on. Apparently, she was incredibly fucked up the night her and Archie came to the bar, she said she barely remembered anything.

Addiction was a nasty disease, Jughead witnessed it in both of his parents and countless friends over the years. Veronica’s attempt to turn over a new leaf must have softened something inside of Betty, too. She reached across the table and laid her hand on Veronica’s as confession after confession spilled from her lips. She had gone down a rough road. She apologized for her controlling behavior in high school, her snap judgements about Betty’s associations, even her disinterest in the disappearance of Alice.

“I didn’t care about anyone other than myself when I was on drugs, Betty. You have to believe me. I know it’s not an excuse, and I have a lot of making up to do, but I love you Betty. You were always the sister I never had and I just want us to be friends again.”

Sensing there was a lot left to be said between the two, Jughead dismissed himself from the table, leaving the girls to work out their differences. He knew Betty was strong, stronger than ever before and more certain of her actions. He wanted to leave it up to her if she felt like forgiving her best friend, it wasn’t his decision to make.

A few hours passed as he nursed drinks at the bar before Veronica left. They hugged as soon as they stood up from the booth and both girls walked over to him.

“Jughead, I owe you an apology. I’m sorry for judging you the first time I met you. I’m sorry for not trusting Betty’s judge of character. I know an apology won’t fix everything, but I want you to know that I plan on making it right. However long it takes, I want to earn your forgiveness.”

Jughead was shell shocked from her confession. He nodded and accepted her apology at face value. The girls hugged one more time before Veronica left the bar and Betty wrapped her arms around his waist.

-

That night, after the bar was empty, they made their way upstairs. They shed their clothes and crawled into bed, eliminating every bit of space between their bodies. The months that had passed did nothing to quell the firey need he always felt when he was around her. Each time they made love, it got better and better. They were learning every centimeter of each others bodies, studying the planes of flesh as if it were a lesson.

“So, Jug…” She twisted around to face him, bringing their noses together, her breath dancing on his lips. “What’s our next adventure going to be?”

“Anywhere, baby. I’d go anywhere with you.” He pressed his lips against her own and they were lost to the world for the remainder of the night. Nothing would bring back her parents, nothing would wipe the memory of Clifford Blossom’s lifeless body from her mind, but he knew she was strong enough to handle whatever would come their way.

No matter what happened, as long as they were together, he knew they would figure it out.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it!
> 
> Leave me a comment, let me know what you thought of the plot or the reveal or anything at all!!! 
> 
> I love the feedback & I appreciate every single person who has read this!

**Author's Note:**

> If you like what I write, feel free to come find me on Tumblr under the same handle! @bugggghead


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